(Stillwater, Okla.) — A former Oklahoma State University student — who was originally charged with pointing a gun at the heads of two freshman pledges of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity — has pleaded guilty to two reduced counts of hazing for which he was placed on two years’ probation with conditions by Associate District Judge Stephen Kistler last week.
Owen Edward Hossack, 23, who has moved from Stillwater to Owasso, was expelled from the fraternity after the Aug. 16, 2013, incident came to light and suspended from the university for three years following a Sept. 18 student conduct hearing, OSU officials said in a press release.
In court last week, as part of a plea bargain for a two-year deferred sentence, Hossack was given a 20-day jail term and a $500 fine — with an order to perform 75 hours of community service, take a gun safety course, have an alcohol evaluation and perform any follow-up.
Alpha Gamma Rho President Mitchell Earl said in a press release last year, “On Aug. 16, an out-of-house member brought a firearm to a chapter activity and into the chapter house which violated the fraternity and OSU’s rules and standards of acceptable conduct.
“A report was filed with the campus police department. The individual’s actions were in no way encouraged or condoned by the fraternity and the individual was immediately prohibited from participating in any fraternity-related activity and has been expelled.”
In its press release last year, the university said, “Oklahoma State University takes seriously any charges dealing with weapons being used improperly by our students and any allegations of hazing.
“The university is cooperating with the investigation and subsequent prosecution and supports the disciplinary action levied against the student and the fraternity through the OSU student conduct process.
“At the first of each year, every new member of each fraternity and sorority is required to go through anti-hazing education,” OSU noted.
Alpha Gamma Rho was required to complete additional anti-hazing education and prevention training, as well as being placed on partial social probation for the rest of the school year, the press release said.
Only one of Hossack’s victims filed a victim impact statement, which was placed in court records on May 20.
In it, he said, “You asked me to describe how the hazing I endured at the hands of Owen Hossack and the AGR fraternity members have impacted my life…It has basically changed the whole course of my life.
“While I should be finishing up my freshman year at OSU, I am back living at home and attending what is now going to be my first semester of college.
“My plans before the hazing were obviously to attend OSU, be a part of a ‘brotherhood,’ which to me meant bonded friends for life and all of the opportunities being a fraternity member would lead to (career path, socially, etc.)
“After the event, when I was back home and attending counseling for PTSD, I watched how the fraternity members that had perpetrated this crime against me got to go ahead and continue with Freshman Follies (that I was supposed to be a part of), homecoming events, and numerous other parties and social events that I will never have the chance to make up in life.
“I also had planned on trying out for and joining the fishing team at OSU, a lifelong dream of mine. I also was considering the veterinarian program there as well.
“Now, let’s go back to the event and the weeks and months following the hazing, near-death experience I endured on Aug. 16, 2013.
“I am quite sure no one can ever understand the absolute terror I was put through on the night of Aug. 16th.
“To be blindfolded, screamed at and spit upon by drunk adult men that have complete power over you, as you are loaded into a truck with a loaded gun held to your head and then neck, so hard that I was choking and coughing because I couldn’t breathe..with the members in the truck mimicking my choking sounds and laughing at my distress, and then finally ending with a shot right in front of my eyes.
“I thought this was it, my life is over…I saw the flash in front of my eyes and my ears were ringing…It took a minute for me to realize that I had not been shot as I surely thought I was dead.
“From the moment the event happened, I wanted out of the whole deal…but I was told repeatedly not to tell or say anything. I became very depressed…For the weeks following the event I couldn’t sleep.
“If I did fall asleep, I would wake up drenched in sweat and my heart racing. Going to class, other social events, and just functioning in daily life became very difficult for me as I couldn’t quit thinking of that night.
“I wanted to talk to someone or tell my parents, but I was put under enormous pressure by the fraternity members and advisers not to tell of the event under any circumstances. After what they had already done to me, I was sure it would be way worse if I were to tell.
“When I finally told my parents what had happened, it was actually a huge relief of pressure. Once I was back (in another city) and at home, I felt like I could breathe again.
“It was literally weeks of hell — anxiety attacks are the only way I know how to describe the episodes I had while still in Stillwater after the event, and I had certainly never experienced anything like that before the near-death experience.
“So, depression, anxiety attacks, nightmares…these are the ongoing physical symptoms that I am dealing with.
“And then the total life change. Back at home with my parents and sharing a room with my younger brother again. I felt despondent. This was not how my life was supposed to have gone.
“I had such great hopes for my future and all of that was literally stolen from me. My ‘identity’ of becoming an adult was put on hold.
“Instead of going to college classes, I found myself going to counseling for PTSD. And although I’m in college classes now, I find it extremely difficult to concentrate on anything these days.
“The events of that night and the months following constantly haunt me. My parents constantly want me to seek more counseling, but I have a very difficult time talking about it without getting upset, and really just try to shove the whole experience out of my mind.”
According to an affidavit by OSU Police Sgt. Daniel Ray, “On Sept. 6 (2013), a university employee reported to the OSU PD that the defendant pointed a handgun at two students during an activity that was part of an Alpha Gamma Rho pledge event.”
One of the victims said that he and another pledge were asked to get in an extended cab pickup at the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity house to be taken to a bonfire initiation event scheduled for them, the affidavit said.
He said that he and the other pledge were in the back seat next to each other, with two seniors next to the back doors, while the defendant was sitting on the front seat console facing backwards, the affidavit said.
He said “that while in transit to the bonfire, they were instructed to stare at their laps and to not look around,” the affidavit said. He said there were seven people in the vehicle.
“He informed me that the upper classmen were yelling at them about what it means to be an AGR,” the OSU police sergeant wrote in an affidavit.
“He stated that the defendant handed him a bullet and the other freshman a bullet and then used a light to show them that there was a bullet in the chamber of the handgun,” the affidavit alleged.
He said he saw the defendant disengage the safety and point it at the other pledge’s head and ask him if he would take a bullet for the pledge, the affidavit alleged.
When that pledge said that he would not, he said the defendant began to yell at him “about not knowing what brotherhood meant,” the affidavit alleged.
He said that “the defendant then took the gun and pointed it at his head and asked him if he would take a bullet” for the other pledge, the affidavit alleged.
He said he told him “yes, sir” due to what had happened to the other pledge, the affidavit alleged.
“He said when he said ‘yes, sir’ that “the defendant then placed the gun up to his (the pledge’s) neck and used it to push his head into the back window of the vehicle,” the affidavit alleged.
He said “due to the gun being in his neck that he was having a difficult time breathing and he started to cough,” after which he said the defendant began yelling at him and making fun of him for coughing, the affidavit alleged.
“He stated that the defendant removed the gun from his neck and believes that in less than 10 seconds, he saw a flash come from the end of the gun and saw the passenger’s side rear window explode. He stated that his ears started ringing and he was extremely scared,” the affidavit alleged.
When the OSU police sergeant spoke to the other pledge, he reported the same information concerning what the defendant did with the gun, the affidavit alleged.
Two days later, when the defendant was interviewed at the OSU police station, he confessed that the information reported by the two pledges was accurate, the affidavit alleged.
Hossack stated “he was planning to shoot out the back window which he thought was open. He stated he was doing this to scare,” the two pledges, affidavit alleged.
“After speaking with the occupants of the vehicle, it was determined that this incident occurred between Oklahoma Highway 86 and Interstate 35,” in the jurisdiction of the Payne County Sheriff’s Office, the affidavit said.
“The Sheriff’s Office advised they were fine with allowing the Oklahoma State University Police Department to handle this investigation and subsequent charges,” the affidavit said.***
