Bowdoin College Community Mourns the Topsham Death of a Student

Police are investigating the off-campus death of a Bowdoin College student over the weekend.

A Bowdoin College Student Found Deceased is From China

Bowdoin's President Safa Zaki identified the student as Qingyang Zhan, 20, in a letter to the college community. She says the woman who went by K is a native of Shanghai, China who has lived in the U.S. for several years.

Police Say the Bowdoin Student's Body Was Found in a Topsham Parking Lot

According to Topsham Police, the woman's body was found just after 7:00 Sunday morning in a parking lot at 2 Main Street. The lot is currently being used to store construction equipment for the Frank J. Woods replacement bridge project. An autopsy was conducted at the Chief Medical Examiner's office, and Topsham Police say they are waiting on the results of that examination. While the investigation is ongoing, police say there is no cause to believe there's any active threat to the community.

Bowdoin Student Had a Degree from California and Was Involved in Campus Life

Zaki says K has been in the United States since 2019 and graduated from the Athenian School in Danville, California, then studied at Oxnard University before moving to Maine in 2021. K was very involved in campus life, helping to start Bowdoin's Chinese Student Association, and being active in the Asian Student Association. She was a learning assistant for Asian Studies in the Baldwin Center for Teaching and Learning and was a musician who played the piano and guitar as part of the Bowdoin Concert Band.

In a letter posted to the Bowdoin College website, President Zaki said that K's death was tragic for all who knew her, including her family, friends, and classmates.

This news is very difficult to process, especially since we do not yet know the circumstances of K's death. Please take care of yourselves and of others and take advantage of the opportunities to come together.

She says plans are in the works for a memorial in the future.

We'll update this story as more details become available.