Friends and family are mourning the death of a student at the University of Pennsylvania.
Police say 19-year-old Madison Holleran died Friday night near the intersection of 15th and Spruce streets in Center City. Officers confirmed the teen took her own life.
"The entire Penn community is deeply saddened by the death of Madison Holleran," said Penn President Amy Gutmann in a statment the Daily Pennsylvanian. "She was bright and well-liked with an incredible future ahead of her. There are simply no words that can properly convey the sense of heartache that we all feel at such a tragic loss."
Holleran, originally from Allendale, New Jersey, was a freshman and member of the school’s varsity track and field team.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with [Holleran's] family and friends," said Steve Dolan, Penn's director of track and field, in a statement to the DP. "This is a challenging time for everyone involved with the program, but we will support each other in the weeks to come and help her teammates and friends find their own ways to honor her memory."
Penn's women's and men's track and field teams were scheduled for meets on Saturday in Bethlehem, Pa. According to the DP, the members of the teams were allowed to choose whether they wanted to compete or not in light of Holleran's death. Formal recruitment for sororities was also postponed.
Holleran’s death is the third undergraduate death at the school since the start of winter break, according to the DP.
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The DP reports that senior Kevin Zhao died while traveling with his family in China over the break while junior Pulkit Singh died last Sunday in his off-campus house.
