Colorado Mesa University (CMU) student Cody Lyster died late Tuesday, April 7 from COVID-19 complications.

In a university-wide email at 10:40 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, CMU president Tim Foster shared information of Lyster’s death. He was 21 years old.

“The professors, friends and teammates of Cody Lyster will miss him dearly. It is a sober reminder that we must do all that is in our power to stop the virus from unnecessarily impacting more Mavericks. Each time we make the sacrifice of social distance, or carry the burden of an everyday life that is changed, let us replace the statistics and headlines with the memory of Cody,” Foster said.

According to social media posts from family and friends, Lyster was hospitalized in Aurora, Colorado for over a week before his death.

Lyster was a criminal justice major and a member of the club baseball team. He did not contract the virus on the CMU campus, according to Foster’s email.

CMU has been online since the last day of classes on March 13.

Counselors and support services are available (via tele-counseling) to students by appointment at the Student Wellness Center. Those who wish to talk with a counselor may contact the center at 970.644.3740. Faculty and staff may access counseling through the Employee Assistance Program by contacting the Human Resources office. Information about the CMU’s response to COVID-19 can be found here.