5 people, wounded in shooting on campus of Morgan State University in Baltimore
Shooting Incident Shakes Morgan State University and Baltimore Community
Five people were wounded, thankfully not critically, in a shooting incident outside a residence hall at Morgan State University in Baltimore on Tuesday evening. The incident unfolded around 9:30 p.m., leading the Baltimore Police Department to initially declare it an “active shooter situation.” As a precaution, the historically Black college campus was placed on lockdown, and details about the investigation were scarce at first. The gunfire even shattered windows at a residential building located on the same block as a city police station.
Police Commissioner Richard Worley later confirmed that the five victims, four males, and one female, are aged between 18 and 22. Fortunately, their injuries were non-life-threatening, as he shared during a late-night press conference.
Morgan State Police Chief Lance Hatcher revealed that four of the victims are students at the university. At this point, no arrests have been made, and the police have refrained from releasing information about potential suspects.
After the initial gunshots, authorities urged people to stay indoors and avoid the area. Thankfully, it was eventually determined to no longer be an active shooter situation, and the shelter-in-place order was lifted around 12:30 a.m.
City Council member Ryan Dorsey mentioned that there was belief in multiple shooters firing into the crowd, although Commissioner Worley did not comment on the number of shooters involved.
This tragic incident occurred amidst a week of activities leading up to the school’s homecoming game, scheduled for Saturday. On Tuesday night, the coronation of Mister & Miss Morgan State was also planned at the Murphy Fine Arts Center.
Shortly after midnight, many students, dressed in gowns and suits, began to leave the arts center where they had sought refuge. They were understandably trying to process how an evening of celebration had taken such a traumatic turn into chaos and fear.
Konnor Crowder, a sophomore from Baltimore, shared his experience. He and his friends were waiting for the coronation ball to begin when they witnessed people running across the campus. “First I was wondering what they were running for, then I was wondering where we should go,” he said.
Outside the dorm where the shooting occurred, orange evidence markers were visible on the ground, and yellow crime tape cordoned off the area. Officers used flashlights to meticulously search for evidence.
Concerned parents gathered at a media staging area near the south entrance to the campus. James Willoughby, an alumnus of Morgan State, had a daughter who was a freshman at the university. He expressed his determination to stay until he could see her, saying, “I’m gonna be here until I can physically see her.”
Glenmore Blackwood rushed to the campus after hearing from his senior son, who informed him that the shooting occurred just as the coronation festivities were concluding. Blackwood’s son was safely sheltering in place in the auditorium of the arts center. He had participated in the ceremony and was planning to host a prayer service afterward. Blackwood sadly reflected, “That’s my son. He’s going to make sure I know he’s OK. It’s just sad. They were doing a good thing—an event to promote positivity—and all this negativity happens.”
At the scene that Tuesday night, officers blocked off the south entrance to the campus near the dorm buildings while a police helicopter circled overhead.
In response to the incident, Morgan State University President David Wilson decided to cancel classes for the following day.
Morgan State University, with an enrollment of about 9,000 students, has a rich history, dating back to 1867 when it was founded as the Centenary Biblical Institute. Its original mission was to train men for ministry. In 1917, it relocated to its current site in northeast Baltimore and was purchased by the state of Maryland in 1939 to provide more educational opportunities for Black citizens.
City Council member Odette Ramos, whose district includes part of the Morgan State campus, expressed her sorrow, stating, “This is just horrific for the campus and for Baltimore. It’s obviously a very traumatic situation for everybody involved.”
By: M Z Hossain, Editor Sky Buzz Feed
