Hays ? The president of Fort Hays State University is urging students to help police investigate a large fight that claimed the life of a student.

Authorities said 18-year-old Clint Johnson, of Healy, died Saturday at a Wichita hospital from injuries suffered during a fight early Thursday at an apartment complex north of the campus.

Ellis County Atty. Tom Drees said that numerous people were involved in several skirmishes taking place between the buildings and in the parking lot.

Johnson, a business major, was unconscious when police arrived around 2:40 a.m. Thursday.

“At this time, it is believed that Clint Johnson died from wounds suffered when he was struck repeatedly on the head,” Drees said.

University President Ed Hammond said an e-mail was sent to everyone on campus Friday urging them to tell police anything they know about the fight.

“We are grieving along with parents. We send our condolences to them,” Hammond said. “There’s no way an 18-year-old needs to have suffered this kind of demise. The university is doing everything possible to cooperate with law enforcement to bring the parties responsible to justice.”

Diane Scott, assistant vice president for student affairs, described Johnson as well-liked and active in campus life.

“He was a great academic student. He was involved. He was one of those students that you want 1,000 of them on this campus,” Scott said.

Scott said the school’s counseling center would help university students who knew Johnson.

“We’ll have some grieving on this campus, among the friends of Clint and faculty and staff — myself included,” Scott said. “There will be services taking place on the campus to help everybody deal with this.”