LSU sophomore Madison Brooks and three of the suspects charged with raping her before she was fatally hit by a car were underage and drinking at a Tigerland bar before the tragic incident, deputies said.
BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU President William Tate IV is leading a call for change following the rape and death of Madison Brooks, a LSU sophomore who was tragically killed earlier this month.
Four people have been charged in connection with Brooks’ death. According to arrest records, all but one of the men accused in Brooks’ rape were underage and had been drinking at a local bar the night she was killed.
Tate says that he hopes “our collective grief and outrage” can lead to action on underage drinking. Tate says he plans to call a meeting with owners of local bars and other businesses to discuss “real and long-lasting solutions.”
“Our action plan starts with a deep and relentless focus on any establishment that profits off our students by providing alcohol to underage individuals,” Tate said. “We will work openly against any business that doesn’t join us in efforts toward creating a safer environment for our students.”
New details in the investigation
On Monday, Deputies charged Kaivon Washington, 18, and an unnamed 17-year-old with third-degree rape. Casen Carver, 18, and Everett Lee, 27, have been booked and charged with principle to third degree rape.
East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies said Brooks,19, and the four suspects were drinking at Reggie’s in Tigerland on January 15.
Surveillance video and toxicology reports show that Brooks was heavily intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level nearly four times the legal driving limit, deputies said.
Brooks left the bar with the four men before she was raped by Washington and the 17-year-old, deputies said. They later dropped her off in a nearby neighborhood where Brooks wondered on the highway where she was fatally struck, arrest documents show.
READ MORE: LSU student Madison Brooks raped before deadly hit-and-run; 4 arrested
“Madison was a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a niece, a classmate, and a friend to many of you,” said Tate in his statement. “What happened to her was evil, and our legal system will parcel out justice.
Tate said he will share additional action items in the coming days.
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