13 Charged In Drum Major’s Hazing Death

13 people were charged on Wednesday in connection with the Florida A&M University hazing death of Robert Champion. 11 of those charged will face third-degree felony charges for hazing-resulting-in-death, while two others will face misdemeanor charges.

The incident took place in November 2011 in a tour bus, after the marching band’s performance against a rival school. The Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner’s Office stated that an autopsy on Champion, 26, “revealed extensive contusions of his chest, arms, shoulder, and back with extensive hemorrhage.”

The incident, which have spurred one of the nation’s largest hazing cases, did not involve the usual suspects, which are sororities, fraternities, and athletic teams, but instead revealed the brutal traditions that are present in some university marching bands. Florida State Attorney General Lawson Lamar stated that:

“The death … is nothing short of an American tragedy. No one should have expected that his college experience would include being pummeled to death.”

Robert Champions friends and family believe that, while they are glad harsh charges are being brought upon the suspects, harsher punishments should have been given. Legal experts had even predicted that the participants should face charges like manslaughter and second-degree murder, however Lamar explains:

“The testimony obtained to date does not support a charge of murder, in that it does not contain the elements of murder. We can prove participation in hazing and a death. We do not have a blow or a shot or a knife thrust that killed Mr. Champion. It is an aggregation of things which exactly fit the Florida statute as written by the Legislature.”

The names of the 13 participants have not been release, and prosecutors state they will only be revealed after all have been arrested. Meanwhile, Timothy Barber, a former drum major at FAMU states that he hopes the charges will cause the hazing to stop. He stated that, “It kind of strikes a level of fear in people, that this hasn’t stopped and it’s not going to be tolerated.”

Check out more information about Robert Champion’s death here:

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