An Iowa State student died in Iowa City Monday afternoon, the victim of an apparent suicide.

Jason Jeffries, junior in pre-architecture from Lisbon, was discovered near the doorway of the west side of the University of Iowa’s Capitol Building early Monday morning by a group of U of I students, said Steve Parrott, interim director of University Relations for U of I.

Jeffries died at 4:30 p.m. Monday at U of I Hospitals and Clinics.

When Jeffries was first discovered, students believed that he was sleeping, Parrott said, but upon further investigation, they discovered he had sustained an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

The students alerted U of I’s Department of Public Safety at around 9:22 a.m., and Parrott said they arrived immediately afterward.

“Apparently there were some students on the west side; a lot of people sit on the steps in the sun, but there weren’t too many because it was early,” he said. “There were some students [on the west side] and they walked up the stairs a little further.”

Both Public Safety and the Iowa City Fire Department arrived at the scene, Parrott said.

Parrott said because the incident occurred on campus, Public Safety is handling the case. A suicide note was discovered in Jeffries’ backpack, but Parrott would not discuss the contents of the note.

Parrott said his office is located in the lower level of the Capitol Building, and he said “nobody really recalls hearing a sound.”

“As far as I know, nobody has been able to establish any time of death,” he said.

Jeffries was a registered student at U of I in the fall of 1998. He did not return in the spring.

This was his first semester at ISU. He was a resident of Richey House in Helser Hall.

Residents of Richey House declined to comment.

Parrott said U of I officials were trying to contact Jeffries’ family, but there was some confusion about where his mother lived. However, Parrott said he believed that Jeffries’ mother made it to Iowa City to be with him by noon Monday.

Parrott said it’s been a tough time for the university community.

“In this building, we have students who work here, and those of us who were here feel bad for the family and feel very sorry for the young man,” he said.