A University of Missouri student has gone missing after leaving a bar in Nashville, Tennessee, prompting his family to seek answers.
Riley Strain, 22, a senior at the university, was last seen on Friday night at a bar in Nashville’s vibrant Broadway area, according to the Nashville police.
He was in town with his fraternity brothers from Delta Chi for their spring formal, as reported by the St. Louis-Post Dispatch. However, he became separated from them after being asked to leave Luke Bryan’s bar, Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink, his family informed NBC affiliate WSMV of Nashville.
“At approximately 9:45 p.m., he was asked to leave Luke Bryan’s bar,” Strain’s stepfather, Chris Whiteid, told the station. “They got separated. The boys called him, and he said, ‘I’m walking back to my hotel.’ They didn’t think anything about it.”
When Strain’s friends returned to Tempo Hotel, about half a mile away, they discovered his room key but no sign of him. Their attempts to contact him were unsuccessful as his phone was dead.
Concerned for his well-being, his friends searched for him, checked his Snapchat locations, and even searched the other fraternity brothers’ rooms but found no trace of him. They then contacted his parents.
Chris and Michelle Whiteid, his parents, traveled from Springfield, Missouri, to Nashville to aid in the search. They expressed their distress over their son’s disappearance, emphasizing how unusual it is for him not to be in touch with them.
Chris Whiteid stated in an interview with NBC News that according to security footage, Strain seemed to be heading back to the hotel but may have taken a wrong turn. However, the source of the video remains unclear.
Despite extensive searches, including helicopter and ground searches, Strain has not been found. Security footage released by the police showed Strain crossing 1st Avenue North to Gay Street at 9:47 p.m. on Friday.
Strain’s family has been actively searching the area and speaking to locals, including the homeless, for any potential sightings.
TC Restaurant Group, the operator and owner of Luke’s 32 Bridge, is cooperating with the police, providing security camera footage and other relevant information.
Described as 6-foot-5 with a thin build, blue eyes, and light brown hair, Strain was reported missing to the University of Missouri, where he was supposed to attend a private event in Nashville.
The university has been liaising with Strain’s family and Nashville authorities, offering counseling resources to the campus community during this difficult time.
The Delta Chi fraternity, to which Strain belongs, expressed hope for his safe return, stating that they are working closely with university officials.
Anyone with information on Strain’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Metropolitan Nashville Police.