Hazing at Penn State Altoona fraternity may have led to a suicide

Pennsylvania State’s Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity is under investigation due to hazing that could have lead to the suicide of one their members.

CNN reports that 18-year-old Marquise Braham committed suicide on Friday by jumping off the roof of a Marriott Hotel that is located in Long Island.

Marquise’s father Rich Braham described his son a good kid with a strong character.

He's kind, gentle, fun, sarcastic," said Rich. "Just good to be around. His entire life was in Christ-centered education."

Ron Heller, chief of the Logan Township Police Department, said that Marquise may have been exposed to hazing and physical abuse at the fraternities off-campus house before committing suicide.

"There are allegations of hazing, drug abuse, physical abuse and alcohol abuse,” said Heller. "Depending on the nature of what this hazing was, it could rise to an assault, and if this young man was distraught over what happened, whether he received hazing or was part of it, we can link that to the perpetrators. If we can link it, we can charge them."

Chicago Tribune added that Rich said Marquise was overwhelmed with the pledging process and reached out to a friend, a priest, and his aunt before he committed suicide.

"He could not haze the other students. He expressed in text messages how uncomfortable he was doing that. He didn't think he could do that," said Rich. "He was a nice kid, a kind person."

There were photos on Marquise’s phone that described the acts the pledges had to endure. One of the pictures showed a pledge blindfolded with a realistic gun pointed to his head.

A text message on Marquise’s phone talked about a pledge having the option of taking cocaine or inserting a sex toy into their lower body. Marquise had to steal chips from a store while wearing a ski mask.

Executive vice president of the Indianapolis-based Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, Michael Carey said that the Altoona chapter has been suspended. There will be an investigation conducted in order to get to the bottom of the hazing reports.