Late Saturday night, the body of a young male was found near a concrete plant in Carrboro. It was soon confirmed to be David Shannon, a freshman student at the University of North Carolina.
Police are still investigating all possible circumstances regarding the death but currently believe that it was a alcohol related accident.
Chris Atack, spokesman for the Carrboro Police, gave a statement saying that it appears that David was climbing the cement plant machinery very early Saturday morning when he fell, landing on the concrete base. He appeared to have crawled some 90 feet before succumbing to his injuries.
There is currently no signs of foul play, but investigators will be looking at the evidence to rule out other possibilities including fraternity hazing. The last time David was seen alive was at a private residence where he had be drinking.
Fraternity brothers said there was no event going on that night. “We figured he’d slept in. That kind of stuff happens. He might have had a big night before. When it got to be later in the afternoon and we still hadn’t received any phone calls we got worried,” said junior Tucker Connett, a Chi Phi member.
He wasn’t discovered until 10:30 pm Saturday night when a group of students found his body just 50 yards from a well used bike path.
Those who knew David Shannon said he was an exuberant generous person with endless enthusiasm. The type of person that made you feel like you knew him your entire life.
Anna Maggee, David’s girlfriend is still trying to deal with the events that took place. “I just miss the jokes he would say because he thought they were funny, and honestly, most of the time they weren’t,” she said. “But I laughed anyway because he would laugh so hard at himself, and I just laughed right along with him.”
UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp spoke of David, “He was a third generation Tar Heel, following his mother and grandfather to Chapel Hill,” he says. “Even though he’d just arrived, David had already made a difference for the Habitat for Humanity building project.”