Editor’s Note: This article contains references to suicide.
If you or someone you know is having difficulty processing grief or having a mental health emergency, the Counseling Center can be reached 24 hours a day at 919-515-2423. If you are in a crisis situation and need immediate help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. In the case of a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
NC State Police Chief Dan House confirmed a student’s body was found near Lake Raleigh on Centennial Campus late Wednesday night. The death is being investigated as an apparent suicide.
Further information regarding special counseling services will be released when more information becomes available.
2:24 p.m., April 27 update:
NC State students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS) received an email from Deanna Daniels, dean of CHASS, regarding the student’s death.
“It is with great sadness that I write to you with information about the death of one of our undergraduate students in criminology, Ben Salas,” Daniels said in the email. “Ben started with us at NC State in the summer of 2020, lived off campus, and was a student-athlete. The death is being investigated as an apparent suicide.”
Prevention Services and the Counseling Center will offer drop-in spaces for support Thursday, April 27 from 4-6 p.m. in the Caldwell Lounge; Friday, April 28 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Caldwell Lounge; Friday, April 28 from 1-4 p.m. in Talley 4280; and Monday, May 1 from 1-4 p.m. in Talley 3210.
3:36 p.m., April 27 update:
Annabelle Myers, associate athletic director for communications at NC State Athletics provided a statement via email on behalf of the department:
“We are all greatly saddened by Ben’s death and send our condolences to his family and friends,” Myers said. “Our student-athletes, coaches, and staff are a close-knit community and our hearts are broken for all in our community who are struggling right now.”
NC State Athletics Sports Psychology and the Counseling Center have coordinated drop-in counseling times to support student-athletes and the athletic department staff during this time.
This is a developing story and will be updated with additional information.
The Counseling Center’s website offers free online screenings, a plethora of self-help resources regarding mental health and wellness concerns and a comprehensive list of campus services available for those who need guidance. To view an exhaustive list, visit counseling.dasa.ncsu.edu/resources.
If you’re seeking professional counseling or other mental health services on campus, visit the Counseling Center’s Getting Started page at counseling.dasa.ncsu.edu/about-us/gettingstarted to complete paperwork, set up an appointment and more.
