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Russell Giroux: 60-year-old man dies after Vermont middle school basketball game descends into chaos

'People were out on the court punching each other,' a school official said. 'There was one person that had blood all over their face'

ALBURGH, VERMONT: A Vermont man died after a fan brawl at a middle-school basketball game. A Vermont state trooper was called to the Alburgh Community Education Center just before 7 pm following a report of a large fight involving spectators during a seventh- and eighth-grade boys' basketball game on Tuesday, January 31. According to reports, Russell Giroux, 60, of Alburgh, Vermont, had to be admitted to a hospital in St Albans City, where he was later declared dead.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Burlington will receive his body in order to ascertain the circumstances surrounding his death. A video of the massive fight was released by WCAX, which appears to show both adults and children wrestling on the basketball court. The Vermont Principals' Association, which regulates school athletics in the state, issued a statement in which its executive director, Jay Nichols, claimed that the organization had no more knowledge of the incident beyond what had been supplied by law enforcement.

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'One person had blood all over their face'

In the video obtained from Burlington's WCAX station, at least two players and a dozen adults were shown joining in on the melee. While smaller physical fights break out, some parents appear to pull their children away from the fights and some adults on the ground appear to grab at each other. There is no information about who is on the ground or what initially triggered the outburst. 

Vermont Principals' Association executive director Jay Nichols told WCAX that game officials weren't sure what sparked the fight.“They were reffing the game, and the next thing he knew people were out on the court punching each other,” Nichols said. “There was one person that had blood all over their face. They got a parent to call the police.” Most of the participants fled before the troopers arrived.

'Our school culture is one of family, community, and kindness'

The Grand Isle Supervisory Union issued a statement about the incident Wednesday afternoon, stating, “It is with a heavy heart that I write to you that there was a physical altercation between multiple adults in attendance at last night’s Middle School basketball game between Alburgh Community Education Center and St. Albans City Schools.”

The statement continued, “Our immediate goal is to remind and educate our students and families that our school culture is one of family, community, and kindness. We need our students and community to commit to the positive culture that our school community expects and deserves.”

State police and the state's attorney's office on Grand Isle are looking into Giroux's death. An autopsy will be performed by the medical examiner's office of Vermont. Anyone with information about the altercation is asked to get in touch with the detectives, dial 802-524-5993 to reach Det Tpr Michael Mattuchio at the St Albans Barracks, or submit an online report anonymously.