A candlelit vigil in remembrance of UNF student George Louissaint Jr. will be held Monday night at 6:30 p.m. in Osprey Plaza at the Student Union.
The event info for the vigil reads, “As a member of our Osprey family, he will be dearly missed.”
Louissaint went missing early Feb. 13 after attending a party with friends at The Flats. UNFPD and JSO launched a search last week of K-9 units, dive teams, and search parties in an attempt to locate the missing student but their efforts came up short.
The body of Louissaint was discovered Saturday morning across the street from Kernan Boulevard Baptist Church in a pond just outside The District on Kernan apartment complex.
The pond Louissaint was found in was initially searched by the JSO Dive Team but according to JSO Director of Investigations and Homeland Security, Ron Lendvay, it is possible that the side scan sonar used to search the pond was inaccurate.
“There are some unique environmental conditions related to this pond that could create false positives or false negatives,” Lendvay said.
Officers are not suspecting foul play and said that it appeared that the body had been in the water for “quite some time.” An autopsy will be conducted this week to determine the cause of death, according to Lendvay.
UNF Police Chief Mackesy recognized that this is a difficult time for the UNF community and encouraged students who are experiencing grief to seek help from the UNF Counseling Center.
“My heart breaks for [the students]. I’m sorry they have to go through this,” Mackesy said. “But if there is one thing that makes UNF different, it’s the way we rally together in times like this.”
Counselors are available in Building 58E Room 1100 for students and faculty today.
Students can also reach out to the UNF Counseling Center’s main number, (904) 620-2602, anytime 24/7. When the voicemail starts, press 2 to be connected to a licensed therapist.
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