Gunfire Erupts During Morgan State University Homecoming Event, Injuring Five

In a harrowing incident, gunfire erupted outside a bustling homecoming event at Morgan State University in Baltimore, resulting in injuries to four students and another individual. The incident unfolded as the nation’s ongoing gun violence epidemic once again struck an American campus, sending shockwaves through the community and raising concerns about safety measures.

During the Tuesday evening attack, students scrambled for cover while a SWAT team was deployed to search for suspects within a campus dormitory. Hours after the incident, Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley provided an update, stating that they no longer considered it an active shooter situation. However, the search for suspects was ongoing, with no suspect description available as of early Wednesday.

According to Worley, there were multiple individuals armed with weapons at the scene of the shooting, though investigators were still analyzing ballistics to determine how many weapons were discharged. The Commissioner indicated that the shooting likely stemmed from a dispute involving two small groups.

“One individual was a target of two individuals who had weapons. We don’t believe that individual was hit,” Worley explained. “We believe the five victims who were struck were unintended targets.”

Witnesses described the chaotic scene as the homecoming event concluded. “We were outside of our coronation, basically they let out and everybody was leaving, and then we see two gunshots hit the front window and everyone just started running,” recounted a student identified as David, who resides at the historically Black college in northeast Baltimore.

The victims, aged between 18 and 22, included four men and one woman, with four of them confirmed as students of Morgan State University. Thankfully, their injuries were non-life-threatening, and one has already been released from the hospital.

This tragic incident marked one of at least 531 mass shootings with at least four victims in the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. It was also one of at least 17 shootings to occur at a U.S. college or university in 2023, spanning across various states including North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Michigan.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott addressed the situation, emphasizing that gun violence is a national issue. He did not believe the shooting was racially motivated at this point, noting that the investigation remained ongoing.

Morgan State University responded by canceling classes for the day and offering counseling services to students. School President David Wilson assured the community that they would assess the situation and make decisions regarding the rest of the homecoming week as early as the following morning.

Authorities urged the campus community to steer clear of the areas surrounding Thurgood Marshall Hall and the Murphy Fine Arts Center. Additionally, the Baltimore office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives was assisting in the search for shell casings and other evidence related to the incident.