Updated at 5:52 p.m.
Former Northwestern student Caleb Dayton jumped to his death from a parking structure Tuesday afternoon, and the incident has been ruled a suicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Evanston Police and fire department personnel responded to a call that, at approximiately 4:20 p.m., Dayton jumped from a parking structure on the 800 block of Davis St. in downtown Evanston. Dayton was transported by paramedics to Evanston Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to a press release from the Evanston Police Department.
Evanston Police's Cmdr. Jay Parrott said the family had been notified of Dayton’s death. Police had withheld Dayton’s name Tuesday night as they attempted to contact next of kin. The medical examiner’s office will finalize autopsy results Wednesday.
Red Mango employee Daniel Choi was working when the incident happened.
“I was walking back to the store when I heard a thud,” Choi said. “We saw a man on the street. He wasn’t moving.”
Choi said a group of people began to form quickly and a woman tried to give the man CPR before the police arrived. The police broke up the crowd and were gone within about 20 minutes.
According to Vice President of University Relations Al Cubbage, Caleb Dayton was a student in the School of Continuing Studies. He completed courses in Winter and Spring Quarters of 2013 but was not currently enrolled. Prior to enrolling at Northwestern, Dayton was enrolled at Washington and Lee University and the University to Minnesota, according to representatives from the respective schools.
Dayton was originally from Minneapolis. His grandfather, Doug, was the president of the Dayton-Hudson Corporation, later renamed Target Corp. He was 22 years old.
The Daily Northwestern first reported this story.