Details surrounding the death of a 20-year-old Kendall College student Wednesday still are unclear, but a letter to the student body written by Kendall’s president implied drug use may have been a factor.

A friend found the student in his own bed around 12:30 p.m. and notified authorities, said Cmdr. Michael Perry of Evanston Police Department.

Police would not release the student’s name and are waiting for autopsy results before releasing details.

But a letter written by Kendall President Howard Tullman and posted around campus suggested drug use played a part in the death.

In the letter, Tullman said: “While the surrounding circumstances and the actual cause of death are still in question, we are all saddened by this terrible waste of a young life. There was a history in this case of prior, serious substance problems, but many of us sincerely believed that those difficulties were in the past.”

The letter also said, “Anyone who knew, participated with, facilitated or even tolerated any use or abuse of illegal and/or life-threatening substances on our campus played a part in this tragedy.”

Tullman declined to comment on the letter’s content.

“I think (the letter) speaks for itself,” Tullman said.

He also said he had not heard negative feedback about his remarks from students.

But students Thursday night said they were outraged over the implication they may have played a part in the death of one of their peers.

The administration should not try to place the blame on students, said Shelima Castillo, 18, a freshman studying hotel management.

She described the deceased student as a “sweet guy” and called his death a waste.

Though there had been talk of drug abuse by the deceased student, a 22-year-old neighbor said he had not seen anything to confirm the rumors.

“If he was using on campus late that day or that night, I didn’t know,” the neighbor said.

The neighbor describead the student as “a quiet guy” who kept to himself.

The student moved to the fourth floor of Terra Hall, a Kendall dormitory, about three weeks before his death.

If the cause of death was drug-related, the neighbor said he hopes this will be “a wake-up call” to all the students who are users.

The letter issued by Tullman also said: “Sympathy alone is like junk food. It has no real nourishment. The emptiness comes back very quickly.

“The best way that we at Kendall can and will respect the memory of this student and the abrupt loss of his life is by taking the necessary steps … to rid our campus of drugs, of drug use and of drug users. Only then can any of us say that we are truly grieving or truthfully and honestly honoring his memory.”