Louisiana State University Student Was Allegedly Raped Before Being Hit And Killed By A Car

On Jan. 23, four men turned themselves in and were arrested for the rape of Louisana college student Madison Brooks. According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Brooks was raped before she was dropped off at a subdivision and hit and killed by a car in the early morning hours of January 15.

On Jan. 14, 2023, Brooks, a 19-year-old student at Louisiana State University, went out to Reggie’s Bar near the LSU campus. Later that night, she became highly intoxicated and began stumbling and slurring her words. PEOPLE reported that the teenager was then allegedly raped in the back of a nearby car by two men who were at the bar, and two other men sat in the front seat while the rapes happened.

After the rapes, the men abandoned Brooks, who was still intoxicated, in a subdivision near the bar. While standing in the middle of Burbank Drive, she was then struck and killed by a car around 2:50 a.m. on Jan. 15. The teenager’s autopsy report showed “injuries consistent with previous sexual assault”. It also revealed she had a blood alcohol level of 0.319, which is almost four times the legal limit for driving, and she tested positive for THC.

According to CNN, Kaivon Deondre Washington, 18, and an unnamed 17-year-old face charges of third-degree rape. Everett Lee, 28, who is Washington’s uncle, and Casen John Carver, 18, are being charged with being principals to the alleged crime. Attorneys for the suspects deny that a crime was committed.

Surveillance footage shows that the suspects interacted and danced with the teenager prior to the alleged rape, The Washington Post reported. Carver told police that they didn’t know Brooks until that night. He said she was unstable on her feet, couldn’t keep her balance, and couldn’t speak clearly without slurring her words. Washington told police that Brooks was “drunk”.

After the men drove away from the bar with Brooks in the car, they pulled the vehicle over. It’s then that the unnamed 17-year-old suspect and Washington both allegedly raped the teenager, and Carver and Lee sat in the front seat and looked on, according to The Washington Post.

Carver said “I guess” when police asked whether Brooks was too inebriated to consent to sex, but he later told police that she “gave verbal consent” after Washington repeatedly asked her for sex. Washington denied having sex with Brooks.

On Jan. 24, Carver was released from jail on a $50,000 bond, and Lee was released on a $75,000 bond. CNN reported that the judge set Washington’s bond at $150,000, and he remained in jail.

“Madison was a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a niece, a classmate, and a friend to many of you. By all accounts, she was an amazing young woman with limitless potential. She should not have been taken from us in this way. What happened to her was evil, and our legal system will parcel out justice,” William F. Tate IV, the Louisiana State University president said in a statement.

Tate also said that it’s time for action, and he is going to start with creating an action plan to address the problem of underage drinking near campus. Meanwhile, the state of Louisiana suspended Reggie's Bar’s liquor license.

Tate added, “We will share additional action items in the coming days, but for now please join me in keeping Madison’s family in our thoughts and prayers.”