New York ( CNN ) -- The death of a New York college student during a fraternity ritual in Pennsylvania has been ruled a homicide , the coroner 's office said Friday . Baruch College freshman Chun `` Michael '' Deng , 19 , died in December of `` closed head injuries ... due to blunt force head trauma , '' said Mary Wallace of the Luzerne County , Pennsylvania , coroner 's office . In a statement Friday , Baruch College said it `` supports the ongoing efforts of Monroe County law enforcement to hold responsible those involved in the tragic death . '' The college had said Deng died while participating in an unsanctioned fraternity pledging event and that it has a `` zero tolerance policy regarding hazing . '' Charges are expected in Deng 's death , Monroe County District Attorney E. David Christine said in December . More than 30 members of Pi Delta Psi were conducting a ritual outdoors for new pledges called the `` glass ceiling , '' according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by CNN . The objective was for Deng , who was blindfolded and wearing a backpack filled with a 20-pound bag of sand , to navigate toward someone who was calling for him `` while other fraternity brothers physically prevent that from happening , '' witnesses said , according to the affidavit . Deng fell backward , struck his head and was unconscious and unresponsive immediately after he fell , the document states . Pi Delta Psi Fraternity Inc. said after Deng 's death that it had `` revoked and terminated all affiliation with the Baruch Colony , '' as the fraternity is known .
Chun `` Michael '' Deng died of `` closed head injuries , '' coroner 's office says . The cause and manner of death are pending further investigation by the medical examiner's office. District attorney expects to file charges .