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13 People are being charged with felonies in the hazing death of a Florida A&M University Drum Major. Robert Champion died November 19th from a severe beating. The arrests were announced in Orlando, but several suspects were arrested in Tallahassee.

Two suspects being charged in the hazing death of Florid A&M Drum Major Robert Champion arrived in separate law enforcement cars and were booked into the Leon County Jail by Florida Department of Law enforcement agents just before 3 p.m. Lawson Lamar, the State Attorney who announced the arrests said the names of those being charged would not be readily available.

“I am not going to parse out the specifics of the charges or the names of those charged, due to the fact that they are at large” Lamar told an Orlando news conference.

We reached FAMU officials by phone while we were waiting at the jail. They told us they would have no on-camera comment.

In a written statement the Chairman of the FAMU Board of Trustees said steps to curtail hazing have been implemented since the November 19th death. The FAMU marching 100 remains suspended. Summer band camp has been cancelled and the status of the band is “under review.”

Chuck Hobbs represents suspended band director Julian White.

“Now that you have individuals that are subject to arrest, I think it’s going to show clearly that Dr. White has no personal culpability in the events that led to Robert Champion’s death” said Hobbs, who wants White reinstated immediately.

Longineu Parsons is the FAMU music professor who turned in two faculty members
involved in a 2010 hazing. Both professors resigned before being fired. Parsons says with the arrests, it is time to more forward.

“Because we have young people over here that we help to become adults, and they go out and do great things” says Parsons, who believes the good at FAMU is being overshadowed by the Champion case.

13 people will face felony charges in Robert Champions death. 20 misdemeanor charges are also being filed in other hazing incidents. The two band members arrested in Tallahassee will have a Thursday first appearance in Leon County.