A 20-year-old Louisiana college student died Thursday after attending an off-campus event in Baton Rouge late Wednesday night, university officials said.
Caleb Wilson, who was a junior at Southern University and A&M College, was brought to the hospital unresponsive around 3 a.m. Thursday, the Baton Rouge Police Department told NBC News affiliate WVLA.
The university confirmed Wilson’s passing to NBC News, citing an “off-campus incident that may have resulted in the death.”
“Southern is cooperating fully with the Baton Rouge Police Department, which is in charge of the investigation,” the university’s statement said. “No further information is available at this time.”
Southern University would not comment on what the off-campus event Wilson attended was, but local reports have stated that Wilson had been at a ritual gathering for his fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, leading up to his death.
Baton Rouge Police Department did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment on the nature of the off-campus event Wilson had attended.
Following Wilson’s death, the university sent a memo that paused all membership intake activities for campus organizations, including fraternities, sororities and student clubs.
According to the memo, obtained by NBC News, the organizations are required to halt all recruitment and initiation processes, any rushes or interest meetings and refrain from inducting any new members.
Omega Psi Phi’s national office released a statement on Friday afternoon, adding that the fraternity will “fully support” local authorities’ “efforts to seek the truth.”
“We have extended ourselves to them and are ready to assist in any way possible during this difficult time,” Ricky L. Lewis, international president of Omega Psi Phi, said in the statement.
Lewis said that the fraternity’s “foremost priority” is to stand in “unwavering support of Caleb’s family.”
“We recognize that many of you may have questions, and we are actively working to gather accurate information. In the meantime, we ask for your patience, your prayers, and solidarity as we honor Caleb’s memory and support those grieving his loss,” Lewis said.
Wilson, a mechanical engineering major, was a dedicated member of the university’s “Human Jukebox” marching band, Southern University said in a statement.
“With heavy hearts, we share the devastating loss of one of our own, Caleb Wilson, a beloved member of the Southern University Human Jukebox and an incredible part of our Jaguar family,” the band said in a statement.
The “Human Jukebox” called Wilson a “talented trumpet player, a dedicated student, and a bright soul.”
“His energy, spirit, and impact on those around him will never be forgotten,” the statement said.
Wilson’s father, Corey Wilson, is a retired deputy at Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in New Orleans. The office released a statement Friday, offering condolences to Wilson’s family after the “heartbreaking loss.”
