IIT student Jermiron 'Jay' Morris beaten to death in fight with fellow student on Bronzeville campus

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 11:38:11 -0600

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Illinois Institute of Technology student Jermiron “Jay” Morris was beaten to death by another student on the school’s Bronzeville campus on the South Side early Thursday.

Morris, 36, and the another student were returning to campus early Thursday when they got into a fight, according to Chicago Police and a statement on IIT’s website.

Morris was found lying on the ground with blood and trauma to his face at 5 a.m. in the 3000 block of South Wabash Avenue, police said. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The other student, a 43-year-old man, was taken into custody, police said.

“There is no immediate threat to the community,” according to IIT. “Our thoughts are with the family.”

Counselors were being made available for students Thursday.

Morris, of Chicago, was the recipient of IIT’s Presidential Scholarship, according to the school’s website. He transferred to the Industrial Technology and Management Department in 2013 after working as a trucker and earning an associate’s degree in logistics at Richard J. Daley College. He was expected to graduate later this year.

“I am very proud to be an ambassador for INTM and IIT in my community,” Morris said in a statement on the school’s website. “As I begin my final year of study, I feel very prepared to face whatever challenges await.”

Jermiron 'Jay' Morris | Homicide Watch Chicago

IIT student Jermiron 'Jay' Morris beaten to death in fight with fellow student on Bronzeville campus