BREAKING: Freshman dies over weekend

Liz Butterfield
Online News Editor

VCU freshman Hobie Dunston Kopczynski died on Sunday, March 30.

A select number of faculty were alerted about Kopczynski’s death via an email sent on Monday morning.

“(I)t is with deep regret that I email to inform you Hobie Kopczynski, student at VCU, passed away overnight,” stated the email from the Division of Student Affairs obtained by The Commonwealth Times.

The death is not reported on the VCU police daily incident log, nor reported on the Richmond Police Department’s crime information center.

“We are sad to report the death of a student off campus. The university has been in touch with those who are close to the student to make them aware of available university resources that provide support,” VCU spokesperson Mike Porter said in an email.

Kopczynski’s roommate Derek Pierce tweeted the freshman had been missing since 9 p.m. on Sunday. A photo of Hobie was retweeted more than 100 times in the hours that followed. Pierce declined to comment further about the situation. 

IF YOU SEE MY ROOMMATE PLEASE CONTACT ME OR THE POLICE. HES BEEN MISSING SINCE 9PM. PLEASE RETWEET❗️❗️❗️❗️ pic.twitter.com/rS9Mnct9st

— Derek Pierce (@D_RECK_) March 31, 2014

Kopczynski attended York High School in Yorktown, Va. and played football. He won the York High Alumni Scholarship in 2013. Scholarship organizers reported Kopczynski wanted to be a cardiothoracic surgeon, and was also a volunteer for the York County Youth Commission.

Hundreds of VCU students and friends tweeted using the hashtag #RIPHobie with prayers and condolences on Monday.