Nolan Burch: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

(Twitter)

A freshman at West Virginia University died after drinking heavily at a frat party. 18-year-old Nolan Burch was found unconscious, on the floor, at the Kappa Sigma house on November 12. He died two days later in hospital.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. His Last Tweet Said His Night Was Going to Be ‘Eventful’

His last tweet was a tragic prophesy.

On November 7, he posted this tweet:

In between those updates, Burch sent out this message the day before his death:

2. His Condition Was Described as a ‘Catastrophic Medical Emergency’

(Facebook)

A statement from West Virginia University had described the incident as a “catastrophic medical emergency.” He had been in the intensive care unit at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia.

School President E. Gordon Gee confirmed Birch’s death in a tweet. WSAZ reports that he was found unresponsive, without a pulse, on the floor of a frat house just before midnight on November 12.

3. He Was Pledging for Kappa Sigma, a Frat That’s No Longer Recognized by WVU

(Facebook)

According to the Associated Press, Burch had been pledging at the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Corey Farris, the Dean of Students at WVU, told WSAZ that police have interviewed more than 50 people who may have witnessed what happened to Burch.

On November 14, the Kappa Sigma Fraternity released a statement saying:

We are distraught and saddened by the news about West Virginia University student Nolan Burch. Kappa Sigma is still investigating the circumstances surrounding the event. This proves difficult, as the operations of this chapter have been suspended since mid-October, due to previous, unrelated violations of Kappa Sigma’s Code of Conduct. Subsequently, the chapter and school were notified on Monday, November 10, prior to the event in question, that the group’s charter had been withdrawn and its operations had been closed.

While we investigate, the Fraternity is focused on working with the university to ensure that the proper support and counseling is available to the individual members of our former chapter.

Kappa Sigma will not be able to have any further comment on this matter until all investigations are completed. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Burch family, the West Virginia University community and the young men of our former chapter as they cope with this tragedy.

On November 10, WSAZ reports that the frat was no longer recognized by WVU as of November 10, two days before Burch died. After his death, WVU has suspended all frat and sorority activities until further notice.

4. Burch Worked at a Car Wash

(Facebook)

According to his Facebook page, he was a native of Buffalo-suburb, Williamsville, New York. He was a fan of the Buffalo Bills. Burch also said on his page that he worked at Delta Sonic Car Wash in his hometown. He was studying business management at WVU.

5. Just a Week Ago, 19 Frat Boys Were Arrested for Drunkenly Brawling at WVU

(Getty)

This is the second fraternity issue at WVU this month. WSAZ reports that on November 6, 19 members of another frat were arrested on alcohol-related charges. That frat, Sigma Chi, was suspended. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported at the time that police arrived at the Sigma frat on the night of November 6 to find a group of frat boys in “various states of intoxication.” In total, cops cited 19 members and pledges of the frat for fighting and underage drinking.