A Cook County Circuit Court jury awarded $3 million to the family of an NIU student killed in September 2000 by a housemate at the Evans Scholars House.

The jury found Louis Carfagnini 80 percent responsible for the Sept. 15, 2000 death of Brian White according to published reports.

White was pronounced dead at Kishwaukee Community Hospital after he was hit in the head with a cement block thrown by Carfagnini from a third-floor fire escape at the Evans Scholars House, 901 Greenbrier Road.

The jury on Tuesday also found the Evans Scholars Foundation, an organization that awards scholarships to students excelling academically who have worked as golf caddies, 20 percent responsible in the incident.

Jeff Kroll, partner at the Chicago-based Clifford Law Offices, and J. Ryan Potts, an associate, filed the civil suit on the White family’s behalf more than four years ago.

The night of White’s death, Carfagnini was angry and throwing objects from the house’s third-floor fire escape, according to a Sept. 18, 2000, Northern Star article.

Prosecuting attorney Clint Hull initially charged Carfagnini with first-degree murder and manslaughter. Carfagnini pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter Aug. 29, 2001, in an agreement to have the first-degree murder charge dropped.

Carfagnini was sentenced to three years in prison.