In an interview with Today on March 4, Gina called the loss of their daughter a “parent’s worst nightmare.”
“We’re struggling right now,” she said at the time. “We are struggling to know what happened, and why it happened. We’re just heartbroken, so heartbroken.”
Her parents shared that they had both spoken with Katie just hours before her death on FaceTime, with Steve describing her demeanor as “just the usual jovial Katie.”
Gina noted that her daughter—who was a senior International Relations major, Resident Assistant and captain of the women’s soccer team—was “excited” but “had a lot on her plate,” adding, “But she was happy. She was in great spirits.”
They also shared that they believe their daughter could’ve been “triggered” by a recent email about facing disciplinary action from Stanford University after “defending a teammate on campus over an incident.”
While they had yet to read the email, Gina stated that it “was kind of the final letter that there was going to be a ‘trial’ or some kind of something.”
In a statement to E! News, Dee Mostofi, Assistant Vice President of External Communications at Stanford University shared that “we are not able to share information about confidential student disciplinary matters.”
“Our entire community is devastated by Katie’s death, and we share our deepest condolences with Katie’s family and everyone who knew her at Stanford, across the country and around the world,” the statement read. “Katie touched so many lives.”
It continued, “We as a university community continue to grieve with Katie’s family and cherish our memories of her.”
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