Anti-hazing group: LSU student's death 'a horrible tragedy'

ROSWELL, Ga. — A criminal hazing investigation is now underway into the death of a Roswell teen.

Max Gruver died Thursday after an incident at a fraternity house on the campus of Louisiana State University.

Gruver is a recent graduate of Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell.

Investigators said Gruver was pledging a fraternity and died after drinking extreme amounts of alcohol.

One local group is fighting to prevent these kinds of incidents from happening again.

Police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana are still trying to determine whether hazing led to the death of Gruver.

Preliminary autopsy results released Friday say the 18-year-old had high levels of alcohol in his system...

As well as THC, the chemical that causes a high when using marijuana.

LSU and the Phi Delta Theta fraternity have suspended Gruver's local chapter following his death.

"It's a horrible tragedy and it just wrenches your gut when you see another case happen and another family going through this," said Emily Pualwan, executive director of Atlanta-based HazingPrevention.org.

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The non-profit educates parents, students and schools about the issue.

"The dynamic of wanting to join a group and belong is strong and that, in that dynamic, students will sometimes do things that they know are wrong and dangerous because the desire to change is so strong," Pualwan told Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik.

Ironically, next week is National Hazing Prevention Week.

Pualwan told Petchenik that it takes a community effort to stop hazing on campuses.

"As an organization we don't want to shut down football teams. We don't want to shut down national organizations. We think that there's a way to work within that environment, but look at the risk factors and change those environments as best we can," Pualwan said.

Gruver's former principal sent a statement home to parents and alumni asking the community to keep the Gruver family in its thoughts and prayers.

Cox Media Group