University of Georgia student Mikal Ghirmazghi, 21, was found dead in her dorm room at Russell Hall at about 6 p.m. Thursday, according to UGA police.
Authorities said they don’t know yet how Ghirmazghi died, but there were no obvious signs of foul play. A UGA Police Department investigation is ongoing, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation will conduct an autopsy, UGA Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said.
Officers and EMS responded to a call about a medical emergency shortly after 6 p.m. and administered first aid, but police and the coroner said Ghirmazghi had already passed away when they arrived.
Ghirmazghi was a resident assistant at Russell Hall. Known as Miki to her friends, she was a senior from Decatur majoring in biology.
“Miki was the kind of person you just wanted to be around and spend time with,” said Melissa Joy, who worked with Ghirmazghi in Russell Hall. “She was the kind of person that’s effortlessly cool and had a calming personality.”​
Another UGA student, Philip Carpenter, was found dead in his Farmers Exchange apartment last month.
Meanwhile, early Friday morning, UGA student Trevor Ray Bachman, 22, of Senoia was hit by a taxi. Athens-Clarke County police said Bachman ran across Milledge Avenue (not on a crosswalk) at 2 a.m. as a cab was approaching Henderson Avenue. The driver, a Stone Mountain man, told police he tried to avoid Bachman but could not. No citations have been issued. Bachman was taken to Athens Regional Medical Center for treatment.
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