Reed College Student Injured In Fire Dies

The Reed College student who died Tuesday from injuries she suffered over the weekend in a fire at her apartment will be remembered Wednesday night, Reed College President John Kroger announced. Members of Margalit Gibbs's family will be at the memorial.

Gibbs, who managed to call 911 before being overwhelmed, was pulled out of her apartment at Southwest Steele and Southeast 30th Avenue early Sunday morning.

They were able to resuscitate her and transport her to the burn unit at Legacy Emanuel Hospital.

She died there Tuesday - something that Kroger called "sudden and shocking" in an email to the Reed community.

"Mara’s mother has told us that the relationships that Mara forged during her time at Reed were the most meaningful she has ever had," Kroger wrote.

"She is thankful that Mara found such close, loving, and caring friends."

Kroger said that counseling will be available for students.

"Death is extremely difficult for us to understand, especially when it is sudden, and even more so when it takes someone so very young," he wrote. "Many of you may struggle with a variety of emotions, and I want to assure you that we are here for you, for each other."

Gibbs, who is from Cambridge, Massachusetts where she graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, was in Reed's Software Design Studio internship program. Only 10-15 students are accepted to the program.

In 2014, she was named a 2014 Boston Globe Scholastic Arts and Writing winner and was then honored with a resolution by the Cambridge City Council congratulating her.

Two other women were injured in the fire, which damaged four other apartments. One was a woman who broke her back jumping from a second-story woman. The other was Gibb's roommate, Miranda McGough, who is also a student at Reed.

McGough was treated and released.

On Facebook last July, Gibbs posted a picture of them, referring to McGough as her "favorite person."

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