MOSCOW — Police have identified four University of Idaho students who were found dead in a home near the Moscow campus on Sunday.
The Moscow Police Department has called the deaths “homicides,” and on Monday identified the victims as Ethan Chapin, a 20-year-old from Mount Vernon, Washington; Madison Mogen, a 21-year-old from Coeur d’Alene; Xana Kernodle, 20, from Post Falls; and Kaylee GonCalves, 21, from Rathdrum.
Officers with the Moscow Police Department discovered the deaths when they responded to a report of an unconscious person just before noon Sunday, according to a press release from the city.
Authorities did not release additional details, including the cause of death.
“Details are limited in this investigation. Currently, there is no one in custody,” the police department wrote in a press release. “The Moscow Police does not believe there is an ongoing community risk based on information gathered during the preliminary investigation.”
The police said the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information should contact the department at 208-882-2677. Police also asked that people respect the privacy of the victims’ family and friends.
“It is with deep sadness that I share with you that the university was notified today of the death of four University of Idaho students living off-campus believed to be victims of homicide,” University of Idaho President Scott Green said in a statement posted to Facebook on Sunday night. “Out of respect for these fellow Vandals, classes statewide and online are canceled Monday, Nov. 14.”
Four University of Idaho students were found dead Sunday at an apartment complex south of the campus in Moscow. Here, officers investigate the scene.
Zach Wilkinson / Courtesy of Lewiston Tribune
The university said counselors would be available for students at the campus counseling center, while employees could access assistance through an employee assistance program. Green urged people to reach out if they were concerned about classmates or coworkers.
“An event of this magnitude can understandably have significant impacts on those left behind,” Green wrote. “As Vandals, we must come together and lift each other up.”
According to Tyson Berrett, captain at the Moscow Police Department, officers responded to a report of an unconscious person in an apartment building on King Road around noon, the Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported.
Once officers arrived, the case quickly turned into a homicide investigation after they discovered four dead people, according to a city of Moscow news release.
Brian Nickerson, the fire chief of the Moscow Volunteer Fire and EMS Department, said police were the first to arrive at the home. The first responders from the fire and EMS department didn’t go inside or transport anyone from the scene, Nickerson said.
Shortly after the bodies were found, the university advised students to shelter in place for about an hour until investigators determined there was no active threat to others in the region.
King Road is a small street located south of campus; the road is home to apartment complexes and ends in a culdesac. Police were stationed at the junction of King and Queen roads Sunday afternoon, canvassing the area to find potential witnesses and additional information, the Daily News reported.
“I am deeply saddened by the events that occurred on November 13th which claimed the lives of four of our community members,” Moscow Mayor Art Bettge said in the city’s news release. “It is impossible to understand the senselessness of events like this, and we all are seeking answers that are not yet available.
“This tragedy serves as a sobering reminder that senseless acts of violence can occur anywhere, at any time, and we are not immune from such events here in our own community.”
Chapin, a freshman, was majoring in recreation, sport and tourism management, and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. Kernodle, a junior, was majoring in marketing and was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. Mogen, a senior, was majoring in marketing. And GonCalves, a senior, was majoring in general studies, according to the university’s news release.
Boise State University sent a message of condolence to the University of Idaho on Monday on Twitter, and included a message to the University of Virginia. Three students at that school, all members of the football team, were shot and killed Sunday.
“We were shocked to learn of the tragic deaths of four @uidaho students this weekend in Moscow. We mourn for the lives lost, and grieve with their loved ones and the entire Vandal community,” Boise State tweeted. “Our hearts also go out to the @UVA community where violence has claimed three lives.”
U.S Representative Mike Simpson wrote on Twitter that he and his wife, Kathy Simpson, were sending their deepest condolences to the UI students’ families.
“Our hearts ache for your loss,” Simpson tweeted. “Today we are all Vandals.”
This story has been edited to correct the hometowns of two of the victims.
Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com or on Twitter @Emily_A_Pearce.
