University of Washington Student, 19, Killed in Off-Campus Stabbing; Suspect at Large

Students and faculty at the University of Washington are mourning the death of a 19-year-old undergraduate who was stabbed to death on May 10. The incident occurred at Nordheim Court, an off-campus housing complex.

The victim has been identified as a transgender female, and her name has been withheld pending notification of next of kin. Around 10 p.m. on May 10, Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers responded to a report of a stabbing at the housing complex.

The victim was found in a laundry room with stab wounds. While police and fire department officials tried to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities launched a manhunt for the suspect, who remains at large.

According to police, the attacker was a black male aged between 25 and 30 years old. The bearded man seemed to be 5-feet 6-inches tall and was seen wearing a vest with a button-up shirt and blue jeans. Police believe the susptect is not a student of the university.

As the manhunt began, authorities initially asked residents of Nordheim Court to lock their doors and windows. However, the advisory was lifted shortly before 1 a.m. on May 11. Seattle Police detective Eric Muñoz said that although there is no imminent threat, the suspect could still be armed.

“This individual just committed a homicide; they should be considered armed and dangerous. We don’t believe at this point anyone else is at risk; however, this is still an armed and dangerous homicide suspect. It’s important we catch them and bring them to justice as fast as we can,” Muñoz said in a statement to KOMO News.

Nordheim Court comprises more than 450 apartments of varying sizes and is divided into eight buildings. The victim was discovered in building number 7. According to her fellow students, the laundry room can only be accessed via a Bluetooth key generated in a smartphone app. Hence, it remains unclear how the suspect entered the building.

As the investigation continues, University of Washington President Robert J. Jones has released a statement expressing grief over the incident. “I want to express my deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and loved ones of the UW student who was killed late last night,” he said.

Jones added, “There are no words that can express the profound loss of a student. While investigators have not yet identified a suspect or a motive, I want to recognize that when violence affects a trans person, it can be especially worrying to our LGBTQIA+ community members.”

The university president went on to thank the authorities for their prompt investigation and said, “We are grateful to the Seattle Police Department homicide division for leading the investigation as they work to find the person responsible for this horrendous crime.”

University spokesperson Victor Balta noted that the Nordheim Court apartments are managed by the real estate company Greystar. He said college authorities are in touch with Greystar to provide required support and resources to the complex’s residents.