A missing Washington College student who was wanted on a warrant and caused the school to shut down, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Saturday in eastern Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania State Police said the body of 19-year-old Jacob Marberger was found at the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, a wild bird sanctuary in Kempton, which is in Albany Township in Berks County. His body was located inside his Range Rover in the picnic area of the sanctuary, NBC10.com in Philadelphia reported Saturday.
Washington College, a private liberal arts college in Chestertown, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, has been closed since Monday, but college officials plan to reopen the campus on Nov. 30.
On Monday, Mr. Marberger’s parents, who live in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, told the college and police that their son had returned home and retrieved a firearm.
“The parents have not been able to reach him and do not know where he is or where is he is headed,” college officials said Monday.
Officials then responded by closing the campus and having students shelter in place as police continued their investigation. Eventually, the students were sent home.
College spokesman Michael O’Connor told CBSNews on Tuesday that Mr. Marberger was facing charges stemming from an Oct. 9 incident at the school in which he allegedly displayed on unloaded antique pistol while intoxicated.
The charges included “possessing a dangerous weapon, possessing a weapon on school property and possessing a firearm as a minor, as well a charge for possessing ammunition he allegedly had in his dorm.”
He was kicked out of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity last week, and on Sunday he resigned his position as speaker of the senate in the college’s student government, The Associated Press reported.
Both police and college officials stressed that Mr. Marberger never made any threats to anyone at the college or community.
On Saturday, college officials said in a statement: “It is with great sorrow that we must inform you this evening of the passing of sophomore Jacob Marberger. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Marberger family in their time of unimaginable grief. This is a terrible blow to our community, and the outpouring of compassion and support we have shown each other will help us through this difficult time. We need to continue to be supportive of each other as we mourn individually and as a community.”
The college said counseling services will be available when students return to campus and “more details will be forthcoming.”
Chestertown Police Chief G. Adrian Baker also issued a statement Saturday: “I am sorry to advise that Jacob Marberger, the Washington College student that police have recently been searching for, was found deceased today, Nov. 21, 2015, near Hamburg, Pennsylvania. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding at this difficult time.”
The Pennsylvania State Police is conducting the investigation, Chief Baker said.
• Maria Stainer can be reached at mstainer@washingtontimes.com.
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