University of Oklahoma reviews fire escapes following student's death

OU spokeswoman Catherine Bishop said Tuesday the university would be working with the Norman Fire Department to analyze external fire escapes on buildings across campus.

Casey Cooke, 22, of Edmond, was found unresponsive early Sunday near a fire escape east of Evans Hall. OU police responded to the call at 2:21 a.m. Sunday. Emergency medical personnel administered CPR but were unable to revive her.

Cooke's uncle, Don Cooke, said she and her Pi Beta Phi sorority sisters climbed onto the fire escape frequently. They used the spot as a quiet place for reflection, he said.

“She'd been up there many times before,” he said.

Amy Elliott, a spokeswoman for the state medical examiner, said Cooke died of blunt force trauma, presumably caused by the fall. Cooke's death was ruled accidental.

The fire escape on the eastern side of Evans Hall reaches up to a window on the building's third floor. A row of trees below the fire escape would have allowed Cooke to climb up to the lowest level of the fire escape.

A fire escape on the west side of the building climbs to the building's roof. A plaque on the wall below the ladder warns of a $750 fine for unauthorized use of the escape.