An 18-year-old West Virginia University student who was found unconscious and critically injured at a fraternity house earlier this week died Friday morning, a day after the school ordered a halt to all activities at fraternities and sororities, the university's president said, describing the incident as a "catastrophic medical emergency."
"Words cannot describe the heartache we, as a West Virginia University family, feel at the loss of one of our own-Nolan Michael Burch-who passed away today," WVU President E. Gordon Gee said.
Burch, of Williamsville, N.Y., had been hospitalized at Ruby Memorial Hospital near the university in Morgantown, W. Va., after an officer with the Morgantown Police Department arrived at the off-campus Kappa Sigma fraternity house close to midnight on Wednesday for a medical emergency, the Associated Press reported.
Over there, he found that the 18-year-old, who was not breathing and had no pulse, was lying unconscious on the ground while someone performed CPR on him, police said.
Burch's death was confirmed by Amy Johns, a spokeswoman for WVU Healthcare. It remains unclear how Burch was injured.
While it's not officially confirmed, sources on campus claim Burch was pledging with Kappa Sigma on Wednesday and may have been drinking heavily. Morgantown police are now interviewing a list of fraternity members and pledges supplied by the university, according to The Wall Street Journal.
"A lot of people drink and party at college. It's a shame one bad incident has to end this way. It's tough," said John Morris, a WVU senior.
On Thursday, university officials suspended all social and pledging activities, effective immediately, at its campus-affiliated fraternities and sororities.
Additionally, the Morgantown chapter of Kappa Sigma where Burch was found had been suspended since mid-October because of a violation of the fraternity's code of conduct, Leo Brown, director of chapter services for Kappa Sigma, said, adding that the fraternity was still investigating the circumstances of the incident with Burch.
Following Burch's death, Kappa Sigma's national fraternity released a statement Friday, stating that the school's chapter has been withdrawn, CBS Pittsburgh reported.
"We are distraught and saddened by the news about West Virginia University student Nolan Burch. Kappa Sigma is still investigating the circumstances surrounding the event. This proves difficult, as the operations of this chapter have been suspended since mid-October, due to previous, unrelated violations of Kappa Sigma's Code of Conduct," a statement read.
"Subsequently, the chapter and school were notified on Monday, November 10, prior to the event in question, that the group's charter had been withdrawn and its operations had been closed."
Meanwhile, the 18-year-old's family could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.
