Two students at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, were found dead in separate incidents within 24 hours, university officials confirmed.
Emergency responders were called to Nash Hall around 10:30 p.m. on October 9 after a student fell from the residence hall. The following morning, a second student was discovered unresponsive in Alma Clark Glass Hall, another campus dormitory.
Law enforcement investigators reported “no initial indications of foul play” in either case. They stated there appears to be no connection between the two deaths or any ongoing danger to the campus community.
The student who fell from Nash Hall was identified as Micah Mazzuca, who had recently enrolled at Western Washington University. Mazzuca was pursuing a double major in music and education with aspirations to become a high school choir, drama, and English teacher.
The medical examiner identified both students as 18 years old. The first death was determined to be by suicide following the fall from the residence hall. At the same time, preliminary investigations suggest the second student likely died from a drug overdose the night before, according to law enforcement officials.
University officials described these as “heartbreaking events.” The school, which has an enrollment of approximately 14,747 students, is 21 miles south of the U.S.-Canada border. The administration has made counseling and wellness resources available through the WWU Counseling and Wellness Center and Employee Assistance Program for students and staff affected by the deaths.
Mazzuca’s aunt, Vanessa Grimm, established a GoFundMe page that garnered over $20,000 in support of his family. “The impact of mental illness and suicide on communities” was acknowledged by Grimm in her statement.
Adding to the toll on the university community, another student, Eric Bachman, died in an off-campus motorcycle accident in October 2024. Christina Liere, Bachman’s mother, was not contacted by the university following her son’s death. The university’s policy is to only notify the campus about off-campus incidents that pose a safety concern or fall within specific geographic parameters. “The university’s handling of the situation upset Eric’s mother, who was not contacted by the school, and other students who felt the lack of acknowledgment was an injustice to the community,” according to local reports.
