University police said no foul play was suspected and officials reported no threat to the Norfolk campus.
NORFOLK, VA — A member of the Old Dominion University community died Wednesday morning near the Batten Arts and Letters building, prompting a large emergency response, the closure of the building and the cancellation of classes there, university officials said.
ODU Police Chief Garrett Shelton said first responders were called to the area outside the Batten College of Arts and Letters at about 8:40 a.m. Oct. 21. Shelton said the person who died was affiliated with the university. Authorities had not publicly released the person’s name or additional identifying information as of Thursday. The circumstances and cause of the death also had not been publicly disclosed.
Shelton said police began a death investigation after arriving at the scene. He said there were no suspects and investigators did not suspect foul play. University officials repeatedly stressed that the incident did not pose a danger to the rest of the campus. “It’s a tragedy,” Shelton told The Virginian-Pilot.
ODU issued an urgent alert at 9:25 a.m. Wednesday telling students, faculty and staff that there was a large first-responder presence at Batten Arts and Letters, commonly known as BAL. The alert said there was no active threat to campus safety. Officials initially canceled classes in the building until noon and told people to stay away from the area while emergency crews worked.
The university later extended the closure through the rest of Wednesday and canceled all classes and operations scheduled in the building. Other campus operations continued as planned. At 1:45 p.m., ODU issued an all-clear notice saying the emergency response had ended and that the alert would be the final emergency notification related to the incident.
University President Brian O. Hemphill said in a message to the campus that the university had experienced a “heartbreaking loss.” He expressed sympathy for the person’s family, friends and loved ones and asked the campus community to respect their privacy. Hemphill also urged students and employees not to spread speculation or unverified information while questions about the death remained unanswered.
ODU made counseling and other support services available following the death. The university established spaces where students, faculty and staff could gather Thursday and Friday and said walk-in counseling, telehealth and crisis support were also available. Officials said the services were intended for members of the campus community affected by the death or by the emergency response surrounding it.
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Brian K. Payne told faculty that the Batten Arts and Letters building would reopen Thursday morning. Payne asked instructors to provide reasonable flexibility for students affected by the incident, including consideration involving attendance, assignments, exams and other academic requirements. He also asked faculty members to avoid speculation about the circumstances of the death and to respect the privacy of the person and their family.
The university had not announced further findings from the death investigation as of Thursday. The Batten Arts and Letters building was scheduled to return to normal operations, while ODU continued offering support services to students and employees affected by Wednesday’s events.
Author note: Last updated October 22, 2026.