Ball State men's basketball forward Zach Hollywood died by suicide Aug. 22 at 19 years old in an off-campus apartment.
The Delaware County Coroner Scott Hahn told The Daily News that Hollywood was discovered dead at Varsity House Muncie apartments, saying that the death points to suicide at this time. Hahn added that an autopsy will be conducted tomorrow.
Ball State head basketball coach James Whitford released a statement regarding the matter.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Zach Hollywood," Whitford said. "Zach was a terrific young man with an incredibly bright future in front of him. His loss is a true tragedy for all those who knew and loved him.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected, especially Zach's family. This is an incredibly hard moment for everyone. We ask that you respect the privacy of our basketball program, especially our players, during this difficult time."
It has been asked by the Ball State athletics department that no one reaches out to the players or coaches for additional comments during this time.
An email obtained by the Daily News reads:
"On behalf of Ball State University, it is with profound sadness that we learned today of the passing of Zachary 'Zach' Hollywood, a student from Bradley, Illinois. Zach has been a part of our community for the past year. During his time on campus, he was a member of the men’s basketball team and made many positive impressions throughout campus. This is a tragedy. Our heartfelt condolences are with his family, friends and teammates.
'For members of our Ball State family who need support during this difficult time, we encourage them to take advantage of the numerous resources available on- and off-campus.'"
Hollywood completed his first season with the team, where head coach James Whitford had him sit out as a redshirt.
Several teammates and others took to Twitter to express their condolences:
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