Notre Dame Senior Falls to Death Before Graduation

One day before he was to graduate from Notre Dame, senior William Meckling fell to his death from the roof of a campus building, reports the Chicago Tribune. The school says in a news release that Meckling and friends climbed atop the Joyce Center sports arena, but he apparently lost his footing on the rain-slicked roof and fell. Friends summoned a campus officer about 3:45am this morning, but the 21-year-old could not be revived. The Colorado native was a mechanical engineering major and a member of the fencing team. Hours after his death, classmates spelled out "Billy" in candles on campus. Graduation ceremonies are tomorrow.

"It is a profound sadness ... to lose someone so young and brimming with promise," says Notre Dame President the Rev. John Jenkins. (More Notre Dame stories.)