Letter from UW President Mark A. Emmert

Dear Friends:

Today we lost a member of our community in a shocking, senseless act of violence when one of our staff members was killed in her office in a murder-suicide. We mourn the tragic loss of our colleague, and our hearts go out to her family and friends.

Incidents like this, sadly, occur all too often. We read or hear about them in the news. While they make no sense, most of us are insulated from them somewhat because they happen somewhere else, not close to us. When something horrible like this happens on our own campus, the aftermath is even more wrenching. I encourage members of our UW community struggling with the effects of this tragedy to avail themselves of the free services for crisis and grief counseling offered through the University. The University will do everything it possibly can to assist in dealing with this terrible event.

I want to express my gratitude to everyone who responded to this crisis with aid and support. On behalf of our entire community, I express my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of our departed colleague.

Sincerely yours,

Mark A. Emmert

President