Two days after a University of Pennsylvania student died inside her off-campus apartment, homicide investigators awaited autopsy results to determine exactly how she died.
Penn sophomore Amanda Hu died inside her bedroom in a shared row home on the 4000 block of Sansom Street in University City late Sunday night, according to Philadelphia Police.
Investigators found blood splatter on the wall and Hu -- a 20-year-old College of Arts and Science student from the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina -- appeared to be bleeding from her mouth, police said. Some prescription medications were also found at the scene.
The death appeared to be a suicide since a note was left. As of Tuesday, investigators continued to treat the case as a sudden death since the exact cause of death would be determined by the city medical examiner's office. A spokesman for the coroner's office referred all inquiries back to Philadelphia Police Tuesday.
Campus and Philadelphia police officers spent the early hours of Monday going in and out of the off-campus home that Hu shared with five other women.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that roommates heard yelling and banging coming from Hu's room shortly before her death. Investigators told NBC10 It wasn't clear who made any sounds at the home. There were no signs of forced entry into the room, city police said.
The exact cause of death could take a while to determine due to toxicology tests, police said.
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Hu took a voluntary leave of absence this semester and was working in a biochemistry lab, according to the university. She was involved in a series of on-campus groups including Model Congress, Penn for Youth Debate and Penn Science Across Ages.
“Ongoing University resources are available to students in need of information, assistance and support,” said Penn media relations director Ron Ozio.
Ozio said that the university chaplain held a private event Monday night described as a "community gathering for sharing and support," which the Daily Pennsylvanian reported was attended by more than 40 people.
Hu's death is the latest possible suicide involving a University of Pennsylvania student -- late last school year the UPenn community came together for a rally to raise awareness of mental health issues with college students. The university also expanded its counseling center outreach and expanded counseling hours, according to Ozio.
SUICIDE PREVENTION: If you know someone who needs help, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
