An IU student died after falling four floors from an apartment balcony Friday morning, Bloomington police said. IU spokesperson Chuck Carney confirmed the death and identified the student as junior Jacob Schleinz.
Monroe County Coroner Joani Shields ruled the fall an accident, citing the preliminary cause of death as “accidental blunt force trauma,” according to Indiana Public Media.
Schleinz, 20, was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and a student at the Kelley School of Business. He was from Champaign, Illinois.
Around 5:42 a.m. Friday, police responded to a report that a man had fallen off a balcony at Urban Station Apartments on South Washington Street. Police said a woman told them she had been talking to Schleinz on her balcony when he suddenly fell over the railing. Officers found him lying on the sidewalk with significant injuries, Bloomington Police Department Capt. Ryan Pedigo said in an email Saturday morning.
Schleinz was transported by ambulance to IU Health Bloomington Hospital, where he later died. Investigators are reviewing nearby surveillance cameras to see if footage of the incident was captured, Pedigo said.
A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for a memorial scholarship in Schleinz’s name. More than $97,000 has been raised so far.
Editor’s note: The Indiana Daily Student is working to put together an obituary for Schleinz. If you would like to share your memories of him, please reach out to news@idsnews.com and let us know the best way to contact you.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the day of the accident.
