FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) — An 18-year-old Northern Arizona University student is dead after police said he attended a rush event at a fraternity house Friday night.

Police said they responded to the fraternity house just before 9 a.m. Saturday for reports of an unresponsive person.

Bystanders started CPR before police arrived. When first responders got there, they said the 18-year-old was not breathing. Despite life-saving efforts, the student was pronounced dead at the scene.

After searching the home and speaking to witnesses, police said they learned the student had attended a rush event for the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

Officers said multiple people at the home were drinking alcohol, including the victim and other prospective members.

Officials with Northern Arizona University said the rush event happened at the fraternity’s off-campus housing.

Following the 18-year-old’s death, three NAU students and Delta Tau Delta fraternity members were arrested and booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility.

The chapter’s new member educator, 20-year-old Carter Eslick; vice president, 20-year-old Ryan Creech; and treasurer, 20-year-old Riley Cass, are all facing hazing-related charges. All three are executive board members of the fraternity, according to police.

Police said the victim’s family has been notified, but the student’s name will not be released at this time.

NAU shared a lengthy statement, calling the student’s death a devastating loss and saying the fraternity chapter has been placed on interim suspension as the investigation continues.

The school also condemned hazing, saying, “violence, hazing or any other behavior that endangers others has no place at NAU.”

Detectives are still reviewing evidence and waiting for the student’s official cause of death from the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Counseling services and support resources are available to NAU students, faculty and staff.

“We strongly encourage anyone who is struggling to seek support during this difficult time,” university officials said in a statement. “We ask our community to keep the student’s loved ones in their thoughts and to respect the family’s privacy as they navigate an unimaginable loss.”

David Bianchi, a lawyer who has worked on hazing cases across the country, said more than 100 fraternity pledges have died from hazing in the United States since 2000.

“If you do the math, that’s about one every four months,” Bianchi said.

Despite state laws and university rules against hazing, Bianchi said the problem persists.

“I can tell you that in these hazing cases that I’ve worked on, too often, the universities are not tough enough. They give them a slap on the wrist,” he said.

NAU student Lola Pierce said she hopes that’s not the case this time.

“Honestly, I kind of hope they ban that frat at least, or something because I know they sometimes suspend frats for hazing, but this is someone’s life that was lost. I feel there needs to be more action involved and more intervention with other frats so it won’t happen again,” Pierce said.

In a statement, the Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity said it was aware and deeply saddened by the pledge’s death.

“Our position on hazing is clear: it is the antithesis of brotherhood and a violation of the values of Delta Tau Delta. Since our founding, the Fraternity has maintained strong policies barring hazing, and our organization vigorously supports the implementation of anti-hazing legislation,” the fraternity’s statement read, in part.

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