Adam Oakes, 19, was found dead off campus, according to officials.
Virginia Commonwealth University said it was closing a fraternity and police are investigating after a freshman was found dead over the weekend.
Adam Oakes, 19, was found dead early Saturday morning by university authorities in a residence off campus and the Richmond Police Department said in statements. According to Richmond police, the medical examiner is investigating the cause of death.
“This is a tragic loss for Adam’s family and members of our community, and we encourage all students who need support to contact the University Counseling Services,” the school said in a statement.
Oakes’ cousin, Courtney White, told ABC News the teen had rushed the university’s Delta Chi fraternity, and this weekend it was the night of his “big little revelation.”
The national office of Delta Chi said in a statement that it had suspended its VCU chapter on Saturday afternoon and expressed its condolences to Oakes’ family.
“We encourage all members to cooperate with law enforcement, investigative efforts and all regulations of the University Administration,” the national fraternity organization said in its statement.
The university said it had also taken “similar action” against the chapter.
White, 39, said Oakes was the only child and the youngest of all the family’s cousins. She said her cousin promised under the fraternity because “he was just trying to be accepted and find his place.”
“Adam was a kid who loved life and just got out of his shell,” White told ABC News.
The university instructed students to contact Richmond police if they have information about Oakes’ death or the weekend’s incident. Richmond police said anyone with information is asked to call Michael Gouldman, a major crime detective, at (804) 646-3915 or contact Crime Stoppers (804) 780-1000.
White encouraged her cousin’s classmates and fraternity members to speak up and help find answers.
“Do not be afraid, be brave,” she said. “There is no cure for this, but it will give us a sense of what happened.”