Students React To Death Of Cheltenham Man, 19

Condolences poured in for the Montgomery County college student who was found dead Saturday at a Pennsylvania park.

Jacob Marberger of Cheltenham was found inside a parked SUV with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary near Hamburg, after a nearly week-long search for him.

Washington College, where 19-year-old Marberger was a student, released the following statement on his passing, and said counseling services will be available for students when they return to campus.

It is with great sorrow that we must inform you this evening of the passing of sophomore Jacob Marberger. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Marberger family in their time of unimaginable grief.

This is a terrible blow to our community, and the outpouring of compassion and support we have shown each other will help us through this difficult time. We need to continue to be supportive of each other as we mourn individually and as a community.

Meanwhile, messages posted to the college’s Facebook page show condolences and sadness in reaction to the young man’s death.

“I was holding out hope that this would have ended as a big misunderstanding. Let this be a reminder to be kind and that everyone carries struggles that many can’t see. Those poor parents losing their only child is heartbreaking,” Jen Lincoln said on the college’s Facebook page.

“This is very sad. My family and I want to send our prayers to his parents, family, and friends. Washington College is a tight community and we are crying with them,” Teris Pantazes said.

Marberger’s disappearance prompted a days-long evacuation of the Maryland college because authorities believed he armed. Marberger, 19, allegedly returned to his parents’ home in Cheltenham earlier in the week and took a case that may have contained a firearm, according to reports. Cheltenham High School was locked down for a day as a precaution.

Marberger reportedly was not doing well in school, having been kicked out of Phi Delta Theta fraternity last week, resigning his position as speaker of the senate in the college’s student government, and facing charges for having an antique gun at the fraternity house, The Intelligencer reported.

Many students applauded the response by the college. ” My heart is broken for Jacob’s family, friends, and the entire WC community. I was praying for a better resolution. This is a terrible & tragic loss. I applaud the response by WC and hope the students, faculty, and community continue to pull together and support each other through this tragedy,” Joan Colton Fink said.

“Our thanks and love to Washington College for the love, concern and support of their students and college community during this very stressful time,” another person wrote.