Mother On Hunger Strike Demands Answers Over Son's Death At Duquesne University
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A mother on a hunger strike is demanding answers about what happened to her son.
"It's hard on the body. The hunger pains, it hurts," said Dannielle Brown.
Brown left her home in Washington, D.C., and has been sleeping at Freedom Corner in Pittsburgh's Hill District for days. Tuesday marked day No. 4.
The mother went on the hunger strike hoping to catch the attention of Duquesne University, where her son — 21-year-old Marquis Brown — was a student-athlete and junior when he died in 2018.
This is his mother's final attempt to get answers about the moments leading up to Marquis Brown's tragic death.
"Before I came, I put my house in order because I wasn't sure I would be coming home," said Dannielle Brown.
According to police, Marquis Brown died after smashing a chair through a glass window in his campus dorm room and falling 16 stories to his death.
It happened after university police and campus security responded to a call about a noise complaint in the room.
Dannielle Brown expressed having haunting thoughts ever since.
"Bottom line is, either you watched my son go out that window or your hands were on my son when he went out that window," she told KDKA.
This mother is now calling for campus police to wear body cams and undergo proper de-escalation training.
Dannielle Brown said she's not eating or leaving until the university responds to those demands.
"There's a possibility that they will be sprinkling my ashes over my son's grave because this is something that I truly stand up for and believe in," said Dannielle Brown.
On Monday, Duquesne University announced it conducted an independent investigation into Marquis Brown's death.
Danielle Brown and her attorney Lee Merritt had a meeting with Duquesne on Tuesday. Dannielle Brown said she is hopeful to hear the findings.
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