U. student dies in apparent suicide

College and Wharton senior Shalini Narwani killed herself early Wednesday morning. College and Wharton senior Shalini Narwani was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday morning in her Center City apartment, according to a Philadelphia medical examiner. The examiner, who requested anonymity, said the single-bedroom apartment at 2020 Walnut Street appeared to be "well-maintained" to police who arrived on the scene at 10:52 a.m. Narwani, who journeyed to the University from Trinidad, was in the Huntsman program in International Studies and Business with a concentration in Hindi. Funeral services were held today in Atco, New Jersey. "This is a tragic experience and a sad time," Associate Vice Provost for University Life Barbara Cassel said. Cassel declined to comment on the details of the incident. Detectives in the Philadelphia Police Department also declined to comment, noting that it is an ongoing investigation. The family could not be reached for comment yesterday. The University's Counseling and Psychological Services is offering assistance to friends and family members, Cassel said. The last reported suicide of a University student was in March 1997, when 26 year old Wharton MBA student Elizabeth Kelsey killed herself by overdosing on medication. And last April, two University students attempted suicide in isolated incidents. One student drank a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and the other, a freshman, slit her wrists. Both survived the attempts. At the time, Counseling and Psychological Services Director Ilene Rosenstein stressed that students can be of assistance to friends who seem to be suffering from depression. "People often don't know how to respond when people are depressed," Rosenstein said, adding that it's important that students take it seriously when people talk about suicide. Narwani's death comes barely a month after the killing of first-year Wharton doctoral student Shannon Schieber, also in a quiet Center City neighborhood. Police have not yet made an arrest in connection with Schieber's May 7 murder.

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