College fraternities have been under increasingly intense scrutiny in recent years, with more and more people coming forward about the toxic environments and dangerous hazing rituals they’ve endured while part of Greek life. Despite this, a recent incident at West Virginia University seems particularly concerning, with one student coming very close to shooting another in the face during an argument.


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According to video footage as well as a report from a local news station, two young men were arguing outside a WVU fraternity at around 4 a.m. when one of them pulled out a gun, eventually firing it and just missing the other’s face while simultaneously delivering an uppercut to the man’s jaw. After the people behind the camera pull back from the situation, the pair can be seen physically fighting, with the man who fired the gun pummeling the other man while on top of him.



In response to the incident, West Virginia University Police issued a community notice, which is part of a “three-tiered emergency notification system used to enhance student and employee safety and provide useful information to the community.” In a statement, police confirmed that no injuries were reported, and there was no immediate threat in the area. No other gunshots were reported either, and the suspect fled the scene before police arrived, though he has since been identified.


The online response to the incident was universally negative, with people expressing relief that neither man was actually shot or seriously injured, while others wondered what could have caused the student with the gun to throw his future away. Or as one commenter put it, “His whole future ruined. For what?”


Others had their own similar stories to tell. “Knew [a] kid that pistol whipped another kid trying to be tough while selling exos,” another commenter wrote. “The gun went off and killed the buyer. This was in the early 2000s, and he is still in prison. Two young lives changed forever… sad.” A third commenter added, “A guy I went to school with was showing off his rifle while drunk at a dorm party. Accidentally shot his girlfriend’s twin sister to death. He got 20 years.”


As many commenters pointed out, it’s a miracle the incident didn’t take an even darker or deadlier turn. “Holy ****, this was almost a liveleak video,” one of them marveled.


Someone teach these frat guys proper conflict-resolution skills, stat; it’s a matter of public safety at this point.