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NYU Student Who Fell To His Death Was Allegedly "Not In His Senses"
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 27, 2014
Modified Jan 28, 2014
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 27, 2014
Modified Jan 28, 2014
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and The Daily News report that the student who plunged 15 stories to his death from the Third North Residence Hall early this morning was 18-year-old freshman Titan Lee-Hai, an aspiring rapper from Trinidad who may have been under the influence of drugs at the time of his death.
“I was the last person to see him alive," freshman Shazim Khurshid tells the Post.
I was in the elevator and he just walked in and punched me in the face and then he asked me where he was. He was naked when he walked in. So, it was pretty obvious he was not in his senses. He had no sense of where he was or what time it was. He looked like he was on drugs, a lot of drugs.
Khurshid said that he saw Lee-Hai urinate on the floor before entering the elevator. “I never saw him before. It is sad. It was pretty obvious he was not in his senses.”
Khurshid said he reported Lee-Hai to security shortly after meeting him in the hall at around 3 a.m., then heard the fire alarm that Lee-Hai may have triggered after he walked out onto the roof.
Lee-Hai posted his music to Soundcloud and YouTube, and his Facebook page has over 5,000 likes.
A spokeswoman from the NYPD's press office declined to confirm Lee-Hai's identity or any of the details in the reports, saying that the victim's family had not yet been notified.
Police are still investigating the incident as a suicide, but are also attempting to get in contact with one of Lee-Hai's friends who may have gone out with him last night.
"It appears as though his death occurred as a result of a fall from the roof of the building," NYU spokesman John Beckman said earlier today. "Police and the University are looking into events preceding the discovery of the body in order to determine the cause and nature of his death."
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone, remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt, and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.
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titan lee-hai
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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