Stanford is reminding students, faculty and staff of the campus support resources available to them following news of the deaths of Clare Orton and Scott Bertics in Walnut Creek, Calif., early Tuesday morning.
Bertics had attended Stanford as an undergraduate before taking a voluntary leave of absence in the fall quarter of 2014. Orton was reported to be a student at San Diego State University. Walnut Creek police have been investigating their deaths as a suspected murder-suicide, according to media reports.
“On behalf of the entire Stanford University community, I want to offer my sympathy to both students’ families, loved ones and friends,” Vice Provost for Student Affairs Greg Boardman wrote in an email to Stanford undergraduates on Wednesday. “They are in our hearts and in our thoughts.”
Boardman encouraged students to seek support from any of the network of campus resources available to them. “The loss of a young person’s life is always a tragedy,” Boardman wrote. “For those in need or worried about loved ones, please don’t hesitate to seek support.”
Those campus resources include:
- Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): (650) 723-3785
- Residential Education: (650) 723-3000 (ask to be connected to the undergraduate residence dean on call)
- SARA Office (Office of Sexual Assault & Relationship Abuse Education & Response): (650) 725-9129
- Office for Religious Life: (650) 723-1762
- The Bridge: (650) 723-3392
If you are concerned about someone, you are encouraged to contact CAPS; the Department of Public Safety at (650) 723-9633; or the Office of the Dean of Students at (650) 725-6810.