A 19-year-old University of Pennsylvania track star committed suicide by jumping off a parking garage in Philadelphia on Friday.
Madison Holleran, a freshman at the Ivy League university, uploaded a captivating photo of Rittenhouse Square at sunset on her Instagram just one hour before authorities confirm she jumped from the garage about 7 p.m. Friday.
The tragic death of the teenage athlete, who accumulated numerous awards and titles in athletics as a student at New Jersey's Northern Highlands Regional High School, left her loved ones stunned.
“The entire Penn community is deeply saddened by the death of Madison Holleran. She was bright and well-liked with an incredible future ahead of her,” said University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann, in a statement issued to the campus.
“There are simply no words that can properly convey the sense of heartache that we all feel at such a tragic loss,” she added.
Authorities have not confirmed the motive why Holleran, whose Facebook and Instagram accounts were flooded with pictures of her smiling happily with friends and family, committed suicide.
"From the few times we spoke to the countless times Ive watched you race, I can't believe this.. from one runner to another #RIPMadison," posted one of Holleran's friends, Kyle Levermore, on Twitter.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our teammate and friend, Madison Holleran. Our thoughts are with her family and friends,” said Steve Dolan, the school's Director of Track and Field/Cross County, in a statement.
University of Pennsylvania canceled formal recruitment for sororities, postponing it out of respect for Madison Holleran, who was participating in the events.
Holleran, who was named by the Star-Ledger to the all-state girls soccer and track teams in 2013, was studying philosophy, politics and economics at the Ivy League school.
“As our school community mourns the loss of Madison, we extend our love and prayers to the Holleran family as they grieve and we respect their privacy during this extremely difficult time,” said Northern Highlands High School principal Joseph Occhino in a statement.
© 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
