March 13, 2025
The 20-year-old died from a fraternity hazing incident, police say.
Southern College will maintain a public memorial service on Friday, March 14, within the campus’ F.G. Clark constructing for pupil Caleb Wilson, who authorities say died whereas taking part in a fraternity hazing ritual.
A public viewing shall be held from midday to five p.m., instantly adopted by the celebration of life service.
Wilson, 20, was a junior mechanical engineering main on the Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based HBCU. The Louisiana native performed the trumpet in the Human Jukebox marching band and was within the technique of pledging to the Omega Psi Phi fraternity when he died on February 26.
The incident occurred when Wilson and eight different fraternity pledges had been at a warehouse in Baton Rouge, police say. In accordance with police experiences, fraternity members wore boxing gloves and hit the pledges of their chests.
The males later dropped Wilson, who was unresponsive, at a neighborhood hospital and claimed that he collapsed after he was hit within the chest whereas enjoying basketball, based on court docket information obtained by USA At present.
The coed’s loss of life was “the direct results of a hazing incident the place he was punched within the chest a number of instances whereas pledging to Omega Psi Phi fraternity,” Baton Rouge Police Division Chief Thomas Morse Jr. stated at a March 7 information convention.
4 days later, the Baton Rouge Police Division introduced that Caleb McCray, 23, had been charged with felony hazing and manslaughter. He turned himself in on March 6 and was later launched on bond. Two different suspects, Kyle Thurman, 25, and Isaiah Smith, 28, had been charged with felony hazing; each males had been taken into custody.
Southern College has paused all fraternity and sorority exercise for the remainder of the tutorial 12 months.
One other funeral service shall be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 15, on the Pilgrim Baptist Church in Kenner, Louisiana, Wilson’s hometown.
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