UK suspends fraternity after fatal DUI; more details emerge

More details continue to emerge about Saturday’s car accident that killed four-year-old Marco Lee Shemwell outside of Kroger Field. University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto sent out a campus-wide email this afternoon announcing the school has suspended Jacob Heil, the 18-year-old student that struck Shemwell, and Alpha Tau Omega (ATO), the fraternity he was pledging.

As reported earlier, the police report says Heil blew a .051 BAC at the scene around 2 p.m. He claimed he had two beers around 9:30 a.m. at a tailgate party leading up to the game. According to a letter from UK to ATO obtained by the Herald-Leader, that party was an unregistered tailgate held by ATO where alcohol was served to minors and every pledge was forced to serve alcohol to other people, a hazing violation. Fraternities are not allowed to serve alcohol on campus unless it’s a registered event.

The investigation is ongoing, but UK is taking steps to make campus safer. In the email sent out to students and faculty, President Capilouto said the school will install additional lighting along the roads around the stadium (the incident took place in the middle of the day, but a good precaution regardless):

An administrative hearing with UK officials and ATO is scheduled for Thursday. The organization’s national chapter is also conducting an investigation.

[Herald-Leader]

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