BRONZEVILLE — A top student at the Illinois Institute of Technology was beaten to death near the school’s Bronzeville campus Thursday morning, police said, and another student was taken into custody in connection with the incident.
The slain student was 36-year-old Jermiron “Jay” Morris, a recipient of the IIT Presidential Scholarship, according to Mark Zonca, IIT’s communications director.
The fatal beating happened around 5 a.m. Thursday in the 3000 block of South Wabash, where Morris allegedly got into an altercation with a 43-year-old fellow student. Police said officers soon responded to a report of battery at the scene, where they found Morris on the ground with severe wounds on his face. Morris was transported to Northwestern University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The 43-year-old student was taken into custody. As of Friday, he had not been charged, and police are investigating.
IIT students held a vigil at Carman Hall Thursday night, holding candles in the frigid cold. Just after 9 p.m., students, school staff and friends shared memories of Morris, who left behind a girlfriend and three daughters, who he described to friends as "my girls."
During his time at IIT, Morris built a reputation as a humble, funny, intelligent and welcoming friend to many.
"He was always full of hope," one student said.
"He was like a big brother to me," said his roommate.
"This man had a heart of gold," said the woman from the cafeteria who often served him his favorite lunch: A turkey and cheese sandwich.
Classmates remembered him at the only guy in class who read all the chapters and knew all the answers. Some students remembered Morris as the kind of guy who brightened your day with a fist bump and his signature one-liner: "Where the people at?"
"There was always a smile on his face," one woman said. "It was always, 'Hello! How are you?"
Though surprised by news of Morris' death, students interviewed on campus Thursday said they did not feel they were in any sort of danger.
"It had nothing to do with IIT," said Tejas Dhawale, a 27-year-old student at the school. "It seemed like it was personal."
Another male student, who did not want to be named, said he wished the university would have alerted students earlier.
Earlier this week, there was an armed robbery on campus and students did not receive an alert until almost an hour later, the student said.
It was the same case with Morris' death — some students heard about it on the news first.
After working as a trucker and earning an associates degree in logistics from Richard J. Daley College, Morris enrolled in IIT's Industrial Technology and Management (INTM) program. He was scheduled to graduate in May.
According to a student profile, Morris really liked the program at IIT, which had taken him to China in the summer of 2014 to study Asian business and politics.
"One of my favorite things about INTM is the access to the professors and industry contacts that they make available to the students," the profile says. "I try to take advantage of every opportunity to be involved in student activities of professional organizations on campus, valuing the exposure that I get to real work environments. I also make the most of student life by participating in many clubs and organizations. The diversity of students at IIT has helped me understand the importance of having a global perspective both personally and professionally."
He said he was happy to represent the school.
"I am very proud to be an ambassador for INTM and IIT in my community. As I begin my final year of study, I feel very prepared to face whatever challenges await."
IIT President Alan W. Cramb offered a statement on Morris’ death, saying the school is saddened by the incident.
“Our thoughts are with the family,” Cramb said.
For students disturbed by Morris’ death, Cramb said, counselors will be available IIT from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the East Lounge of Carman Hall and in the Student Health and Wellness Center on the 3rd Floor of the IIT Tower.
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