UD official: Death of student from Mason believed to be from natural causes

UPDATE @ 8:40 p.m.:

A University of Dayton student who was found unresponsive Tuesday evening in his Founders Hall dorm room is believed to have died of natural causes, a university official said.

The student was identified as 20-year-old Ben Tavella, a first-year mechanical engineering student from Mason, university President Eric Spina said in an email Tuesday night to students, faculty and staff, our media partner WHIO-TV reported.

A prayer gathering will be held later to mourn Tavella, Spina said.

The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office has the student’s body. No other information was available..

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INITIAL REPORT:

A coroner’s investigator has responded to Founders Hall on the University of Dayton campus, our media partner WHIO-TV reported.

The call came in around 5:30 p.m. and police are on the scene.

A team from WHIO on the scene. We will update this story as we learn more information.

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