# Death of Southern University student investigated as act of fraternity hazing

The death of a 20-year-old Southern University student in Baton Rouge, , is being investigated by local law enforcement as a possible act of fraternity hazing, school authorities confirmed to the Associated Press on Wednesday.

Caleb Wilson, who died on 27 February, was a mechanical engineering junior at Southern University and A&M College and a member of the school’s famed marching band.

A university spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that an alleged fraternity ritual, involving Omega Psi Phi, is being investigated.

Ricky L Lewis, the international president of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc, said in a written statement issued on Friday that the organization is aware that authorities have “launched an investigation into this tragic incident, and we fully support their efforts to seek the truth”.

“We recognize that many of you may have questions, and we are actively working to gather accurate information,” Lewis said. It was unclear whether Wilson had been a fraternity member.

Additional details, including Wilson’s cause of death, were not yet available. Police in East Baton Rouge have not commented on the investigation.

In a statement from Wilson’s family, published by WAFB-TV, Wilson was described as an “extraordinary person” who was a “bright and talented young man with a promising future ahead of him”.

“With his energy, spirit and impact on those around him, no other family would have to endure such a tragedy,” the family said.

Wilson was a trumpet player with the marching band, known as the Human Jukebox, which recently played at the Super Bowl. In a statement on the band’s Facebook page, Wilson was described as a talented, dedicated and bright soul who “poured his passion” into his studies and music.

During the band’s performance at one of New Orleans’s Mardi Gras parades over the weekend, members played Stevie Wonder’s Love Light in Flight in honor of Wilson.

“This was more than just a performance, it was a tribute, a farewell and promise that Caleb’s legacy will live on,” the band posted on Facebook along with a video of the performance.

Following Wilson’s death, the historically Black university indefinitely halted all club-recruiting activities, including those related to Greek life. On Tuesday, the university announced its own internal investigation and student judiciary process into the “alleged hazing incident”.

The university statement said that any organization on campus that breaches anti-hazing polices will face “prompt disciplinary sanctions”.

Southern University requires clubs and organizations to undergo anti-hazing training. In 2018, following the death of Max Gruver – a  State University student who died of alcohol poisoning after a hazing ritual at the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house – then governor John Bel Edwards signed several anti-hazing laws meant to curb hazing and increase penalties.
```