Santee Native Found Dead at SDSU Frat House

A 20-year-old San Diego State University student from Santee was found dead Friday at a fraternity house on the outskirts of the campus.

Barzeen Barzanji was discovered unresponsive in a bed at the Phi Kappa Theta house in the 5500 block of Aztec Walk about 8:30 a.m., according to the county Medical Examiner's Office. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Barzanji, a 2009 graduate of , did not belong to that SDSU fraternity, but he was president of another one -- Sigma Alpha Epsilon, according to university records.

Campus officials declined to release further details about the circumstances of the death. An autopsy was tentatively scheduled for Saturday, according to the medical examiner.

San Diego police spokesman Jim Johnson said his department's homicide division had not been called in on the case, which would have occurred had the fatality appeared suspicious.

In a prepared statement, university President Elliot Hirshman said he and his staff were "deeply saddened by the news of the death of one of our students this morning."

"SDSU police are investigating the circumstances," he said. "Any loss of life in our community is tragic, and I encourage (students and their families) to support each other during this difficult time."

The university was offering campus counseling and psychological services to any students having difficulty dealing with Barzanji's death.

Barzanji worked as a waiter at a P.F. Chang's restaurant and had intended to graduate from college next year, according to his Facebook page.

-City News Service