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College student from Arlington Heights dies at fraternity event

A 19-year-old college student from Arlington Heights died over the weekend while attending a fraternity event in Missouri, authorities said Monday.

Kamil Jackowski, a freshman at the University of Iowa, was found unresponsive shortly before 7 a.m. Sunday in a room at Camden on the Lake Resort in Lake of the Ozarks, Camden County Sheriff's Lt. Arlyne Page said.

Emergency responders were called by another guest staying in the same room, and CPR was performed at the scene, Page said. Jackowski was taken to Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach, Missouri, where he was pronounced dead.

A determination on the cause of death will come after the autopsy that was scheduled for Monday afternoon and likely toxicology reports, Page said.

“We do not suspect foul play,” she added.

Jackowski was in Missouri for a Sigma Chi fraternity formal.

Page said she could not speculate whether alcohol played a part in the death, but on Monday afternoon fraternity and sorority leaders at the University of Iowa announced they are banning alcohol from all official events until further notice.

They also placed a ban on out-of-town formals.

“These bans are not to be seen as punishments,” the statement published in The Daily Iowan student newspaper reads. “Rather, they are an acknowledgment that we must address the pervasive and dangerous alcohol culture that exists within our community.”

The Greek system leaders say the ban will remain in place until they can work with university officials to make fraternity and sorority events safer.

Jackowski was a 2016 graduate of Hersey High School. He was majoring in pre-business at Iowa, Dean of Students Lyn Redington said in a statement released to students Monday morning.

“We offer our deepest condolences to Kamil's family, friends, and loved ones,” Redington said in the statement.

Emmett Corrigan, president of the university's Sigma Chi fraternity chapter, described Jackowski as “an intelligent, kind, caring and loyal friend who will be greatly missed” in an emailed statement.

Corrigan said fraternity members are cooperating with university officials and the international Sigma Chi organization as they investigate what led to the death.

Jackowski played football at Hersey, where he was a member of the Daily Herald's 2015 All-Area team for his work on both offense and defense. An online petition launched Monday asks Hersey to retire Jackowski's jersey No. 1.

“Kamil was one of the most impressive humans and athletes to ever walk Hersey's halls. Unfortunately, his life was taken too soon. Hersey should honor him as being number 1 on and off the field,” the petition states.

A GoFundMe page has been established to raise money to pay for his funeral. More than $33,500 had been raised by late Monday morning.

The Iowa Chop House restaurant in Iowa City confirmed over Twitter on Monday that Jackowski was an employee.

“Our grief at this time is little compared to what his family must be feeling and our hearts and prayers go out to them. Kamil, you will always be a part of our team,” restaurant founder John B. Burchert wrote.

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