An Erie teenager’s death that prompted Penn State to temporarily suspend a fraternity was ruled accidental Friday by the Centre County coroner’s office.
John “Jack” Schoenig, 17, died of chemical asphyxia due to nitrous oxide, Deputy Coroner Debra Smeal announced. Schoenig was pronounced dead Oct. 19 at 522 W. College Ave., State College police said.
Police were called to the house around 9:30 p.m. Oct. 19 for a report of a male who had become unconscious and was experiencing shallow breathing, according to a press release. When police arrived, along with Centre LifeLink EMS, they found Schoenig in full cardiac arrest. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
There were no signs of trauma and several others were present when he became unconscious, police said.
Centre County Coroner rules on death of 17-year old Cathedral Prep student Jack Schoenig, who passed away at an off-campus party at Penn State https://t.co/crJNMznIrc
— JET/FOX/YourErie.com (@JET24FOX66) November 24, 2019
A toxicology report detected no alcohol in Schoenig’s system, according to the release from the coroner’s office.
The off-campus house was allegedly occupied by members of Chi Phi, though it was not the fraternity’s official house, Penn State said. The university placed the frat on an interim suspension three days after Schoenig’s death, pending an investigation.
Penn State felt it was appropriate to issue the suspension to provide time for a “thorough and careful” investigation, convey the seriousness of the situation, avoid further incidents and provide suitable notice to others, Vice President for Student Affairs Damon Sims said last month.
Neither borough police nor the university responded to request for comment Friday.
Schoenig was a senior hockey player at Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie, and ice hockey was his passion, according to his obituary. A Jack Schoenig “True Grit” Memorial Scholarship Fund at Cathedral Prep was set up in his memory.
