OXFORD, Miss. — A spokesperson for Brady Eaves, the former Ole Miss student who is shown in a viral video biting the head off a mouse, said it may have been hazing by his fraternity.
Eaves was on spring break when the video was shot.
WREG spoke with a family spokesman, William Bova, who wants to know why other students in the video are not getting negative attention as well.
The video shows former Ole Miss freshman and Phi Delta Theta fraternity member Brady Eaves biting the head off a mouse in Destin, Florida.
Sources say students force-fed the animal vodka and hot-boxed its cage earlier.
The fraternity dropped Eaves on Tuesday, and his family withdrew him from the university to receive counseling and be evaluated.
Bova said Eaves went on this trip with other members of Phi Delta Theta.
The family is afraid those members planned to torture the animal all along.
“It’s my understanding that one of his fellow frat brothers, in conjunction with some of his other frat brothers purchased the hamster,” Bova later corrected himself and called it a mouse.
Now, family members are wondering whether Brady killed the mouse as part of a hazing ritual.
“I don’t know if it was a hazing situation. I don’t know if it was an official fraternity situation,” Bova said.
Phi Delta Theta’s national headquarters responded to WREG, saying they are investigating to see if any other members were directly involved.
They say anyone who was will also be removed from the fraternity.
WREG also spoke with the State’s Attorney’s office in Florida.
They say local law enforcement has not even heard about the video, but that it is possible this could be charged as animal cruelty.
“If charges in any jurisdiction are filed, they will then address it from that point forward,” Bova said.
Animal cruelty charges in Florida carry a maximum sentence of five years in jail and $5,000 in fines.
At least one petition has already been started online calling for Eaves to be charged.