BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The mayor of the small town where four University of Idaho students were found dead Sunday said the “senseless” event is a reminder that acts of violence can happen anywhere.
Moscow’s police department has released few details about the deaths, which have been described as “homicide.”  Officers discovered the bodies of four University of Idaho students at a home near campus when they responded to a report of an unconscious person.
The victims have been identified as Ethan Chapin, a 20-year-old from Conway, Washington.  Madison Mogen, a 21-year-old from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.  Xana Kernodle, 20, of Avondale, Arizona;  and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho.
In a press release Monday, Moscow Mayor Art Bettge said that while only limited information could be shared without jeopardizing the police investigation, his heart and thoughts were with the victims and their families as well as the entire the community.
“This tragedy serves as a reminder that senseless acts of violence can happen anywhere, at any time, and we are not immune from such events here in our community,” Bettge wrote.  “Today we mourn for those who were lost and those they left behind.”
Police do not believe there is an “active threat” to the community, the University of Idaho wrote in a news release.  The university brought in additional security personnel to help with the school’s “Safe Walks” program, which allows students and employees to sign up to have a security guard accompany them on campus walks.
Authorities have released few details about the investigation or what caused the deaths.
“Details are limited in this investigation.  At this time, there is no one in custody,” the police department wrote in a press release.  “Moscow police do not believe there is an ongoing risk to the community based on information gathered during the preliminary investigation.”
Police said anyone with information should contact the department and asked people to respect the privacy of the victims’ family and friends.
Brian Nickerson, the fire chief of the Moscow Volunteer Fire and EMS Department, said police were the first to arrive at the home.  First responders from the fire and EMS department did not enter or transport anyone from the scene, Nickerson said.
“It is with deep sadness that I share with you that the university was informed today of the deaths of four University of Idaho students living off campus who are believed to be victims of homicide,” University of Idaho President Scott Green said in a statement released on Facebook on Sunday night.  “Out of respect for these fellow Vandals, statewide and online classes are canceled on Monday, November 14.”
The university said counselors would be available for students at the campus counseling center, while employees could access help through an employee assistance program.  Green urged people to reach out if they are concerned about classmates or co-workers.
“An event of this magnitude can reasonably have significant effects on those left behind,” Green wrote.  “As Vandals, we must unite and lift each other up.”
Shortly after the bodies were found, the university advised students to evacuate for about an hour until investigators determined there was no active threat to others in the area.
The Moscow Police Department said the investigation is ongoing and asked anyone with information to call the department.
Moscow City is a tight-knit college town nestled in the rolling hills of north-central Idaho, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southeast of Spokane, Washington.
The University said Chapin was a freshman and member of Sigma Chi fraternity, and Kernodle was a junior majoring in marketing and a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority.  Mogen was also a senior majoring in marketing and Goncalves was a general studies senior, the university said.  The university also had a different hometown for Chapin and Kernodle than the cities listed in the Moscow Police Department release: The school said Chapin was from Mount Vernon, Washington, and Kernodle was from Post Falls, Idaho.
A vigil for the slain students is set for 5 p.m. Wednesday on the University’s administration lawn, University of Idaho spokesman Kyle Pfannenstiel said.
Shortly after Moscow police announced a homicide investigation, students at the University of Virginia were also told to evacuate after police said a suspect shot fellow students on a bus as they returned from a field trip.  The shooting killed three members of the school’s football team and wounded two other students.  The shooting sparked an intense manhunt Sunday, and authorities announced Monday that a suspect, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., had been arrested.
The deaths at both universities prompted officials and other colleges to send messages of condolence.
“Shocked to learn of the tragic death of four @uidaho students this weekend in Moscow.  We mourn the lives lost and grieve with their loved ones and the entire Vandal community,” Boise State University tweeted Monday.  “Our hearts also go out to the @UVA community where violence has claimed three lives.”
U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson tweeted that he and his wife, Kathy Simpson, sent their deepest condolences to the families of the UI students.
“Our hearts ache for your loss,” Simpson wrote.  “Today we are all Vandals.”
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AP reporter Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed.