Earlier this week, the sporting world was devastated by the loss of 22-year-old collegiate soccer player Katie Meyer, who was found dead in a campus residence.
Her death was shocking, but it became a gross calling cry for anti-vax people to spew their conspiracy theories on the tragic event in the immediate aftermath. Those conspiracies can be put to rest now.
On Thursday night, officials announced a cause of death for Meyer. According to a statement from the County of Santa Clara, Meyer’s death was self-inflicted.
“There is no indication of foul play, and Meyer’s death was determined to be self-inflicted,” the County of Santa Clara, Calif., said in a statement provided to PEOPLE Thursday.
More via People:
“We are exceedingly saddened to hear about the death of Katie Meyer, a beloved, talented and respected Stanford student, athlete and Santa Clara County resident,” the statement continued. “The Medical Examiner-Coroner extends sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Katie Meyer.”
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NCAA stories via Google! Follow Us
Meyer’s sister, Samantha, posted a tribute for her sister on her Instagram story.
“There are no words. Thank you for all the kindness extended to my family,” Samantha wrote. “I’m not ready to post anything big yet. We are broken hearted and love Kat so much.”
Meyer was a senior majoring in International Relations, resident assistant, and was supposed to graduate this year.
“Katie was extraordinarily committed to everything and everyone in her world,” Stanford said in a statement released Wednesday. “Her friends describe her as a larger-than-life team player in all her pursuits, from choosing an academic discipline she said ‘changed my perspective on the world and the very important challenges that we need to work together to overcome’ to the passion she brought to the Cardinal women’s soccer program and to women’s sports in general.”
“Katie was a bright shining light for so many on the field and in our community,” the university wrote.
Meyer’s fierce competitiveness helped Stanford win its third NCAA women’s soccer championship in 2019.
