The cause of death of Jonathan Rodriguez, a 21-year-old student at The Evergreen State College, was confirmed Friday by the Thurston County Coroner.
Coroner Gary Warnock said Rodriguez died of carbon monoxide poisoning, which has been the presumption since Rodriguez, of DuPont, was found dead Monday night. Two other students, a 20-year-old woman and a 19-year-old woman, were hospitalized from exposure to the gas, but have since been released.
The incident happened in Evergreen's modular housing. A student residence manager couldn't reach the three students inside the housing unit Monday night, so an Evergreen police officer later broke down the door and attempted to revive the students. The officer was poisoned by carbon monoxide in the process and was treated at the hospital.
No officials have been able to clarify whether the residence manager and police officer were first alerted to the problem by carbon monoxide alarms. However, a contractor had responded to alarms earlier in the day, according to the college.
McLane Black Lake Fire District crews responded to the situation and did carbon monoxide testing in the affected area. Campus officials contacted other students in the area to make sure they were safe.
Evergreen students gathered Dec. 13 for a vigil for Rodriguez, and to demand the administration of the college be held accountable for the loss of life.
According to a news release from the Washington State Patrol, an investigation into the timeline of events and causes of the incident is ongoing. WSP partnered with an outside forensics engineering firm that specializes in carbon monoxide investigations and is planning to release a detailed report at some point in the future.
