“The staff had just worked with him last week to put out resumes,” Turner said.

Alexandra Essert, who said she was a former girlfriend of Dube’s, described him as a “good kid.”

“I’ve known him a really long time. I grew up with him in group homes,” she said. “He would bend over backwards for people. He wasn’t a bad kid at all, he just went through some stuff.

“He was a good kid who made some bad decisions, but that doesn’t make him a bad person.”

The SIU was continuing its investigation Wednesday into what exactly happened the night before.

Dube’s body was removed from the gorge and an autopsy was expected to take place Wednesday.

Turner said Dube and a female friend left the Nightlight home at about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday and were stopped by police.

“When Ryan fled, the friend came back to the shelter,” she said. “When everything was happening down on River Rd., the staff was very fearful that Ryan was involved.”

“We didn’t have confirmation until later last night … the staff and the youth there are very distraught right now,” she said.

Another person who said he knew Dube was also a witness to the altercation Tuesday.

Ryan Allers, 30, said he spent about a week in the Nightlight Youth Residence at the same time as Dube earlier this month.

“We saw each other every day,” said Allers, who last talked to Dube Tuesday morning. “We were on great terms. It’s an absolute tragedy to have this happen.”