Virginia Commonwealth University fraternity suspended after freshman found dead
The activities of a Virginia Commonwealth University fraternity have been suspended after a freshman was found dead in off-campus housing.
Authorities identified Adam Oakes, 19, as the student who died in an incident that WRIC-TV said was “linked to the fraternity” of Delta Chi.
“VCU mourns the death of student Adam Oakes, who was identified by authorities at an off-campus residence early Saturday,” the university said in a statement. “This is a tragic loss for Adam’s family and members of our community, and we encourage any students in need of support to contact university counseling services.”
We are heartbroken at the tragic loss of one of our own. I offer my heartfelt sympathies to Adam’s loved ones and closest friends. @VCU will continue to work closely with local law enforcement as the investigation develops. https://t.co/8VIzZ3qKYx
— Michael Rao, Ph.D. (@VCUpresident) February 28, 2021
Richmond police were called at 9:16 a.m. on Saturday morning for report of a person down, WRIC said. They arrived to find him unresponsive.
“The Delta Chi fraternity’s national office issued a cease-and-desist order to the VCU chapter on Saturday,” the university statement said. “The university took similar action today and continues its investigation.”
Adam Oakes was an only child, his cousin Courtney White, 39, told ABC News.
“He was just trying to be accepted and find his place,” White said of his decision to pledge. “Adam was a kid who loved life and was just coming out of his shell.”
“He is all we had. He is everything we had in our life,” Adam Oakes’ father, Eric Oakes, told WRIC. “We had one child, he’s a lovely kid. He just totally enjoyed life.”
He also told the station that Oakes’ family had learned their son died but not the manner of death. That, he said, they learned from social media.
“What we are hearing right now is that he drank a handle of Jack Daniels — the kids told us the names of the bigs, they told us more information than the police did,” Alex Oakes’ cousin Courtney White told WRIC.
“We were devastated to learn of the passing of a student at Virginia Commonwealth University and extend our condolences to the family, friends and everyone touched by this heartbreaking news,” the national headquarters of Delta Chi told WRIC. “The health and safety of our chapter communities is always a top priority for The Delta Chi Fraternity, which suspended the VCU chapter after learning of the incident late Saturday afternoon. We encourage all members to cooperate with law enforcement investigative efforts and all directives of the University Administration.”
