A suspect has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Southern University and A&M College student Caleb Wilson, who died following an alleged hazing incident. Baton Rouge police announced on Friday that 23-year-old Caleb McCray has been charged with manslaughter and criminal hazing.
Wilson, a 20-year-old junior, was brought to a local hospital unresponsive by a group of males and was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on February 27. Initially, the group claimed he collapsed while playing basketball at a city park. However, an investigation later revealed that the incident actually took place at a warehouse in Baton Rouge, where Wilson was pledging to Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
According to Baton Rouge Police Chief TJ Morse, Wilson died after being punched in the chest multiple times during the hazing event. Investigators determined that McCray was one of at least three individuals who punched Wilson and eight other pledges while wearing boxing gloves. Wilson collapsed after being struck four times in the chest and appeared to suffer a seizure before being taken to the hospital. Despite the severity of the situation, no one involved in the incident called 911.
Authorities executed a search warrant at the warehouse on February 28 and recovered a pair of black boxing gloves. Police stated that McCray, who recently graduated from Southern University with a sociology degree in December 2024, is a member of the Louisiana Army National Guard. His attorney, Phillip Robinson, has maintained his client’s innocence and urged the public to withhold judgment until all evidence is presented.
Two additional suspects are expected to turn themselves in, and police have indicated that more arrests may follow. Investigators are working to determine a complete timeline of events, having interviewed over a dozen people and executed multiple search warrants.
Southern University is cooperating with the investigation and conducting its own internal review of the incident. The school has indefinitely banned membership intake for all student organizations and reaffirmed that hazing is a violation of both university policy and Louisiana law.
Wilson was a mechanical engineering major and a member of the Southern University “Human Jukebox” Marching Band. University officials, including President Dennis Shields, have expressed their condolences to his family and friends, calling his death a tragic loss.
