By HUNewsService.com Staff  

London Pope, a first-year student at Morgan State University, ushered 10 friends into her dorm room after shots were fired outside the Thurgood Marshall Residence Hall, injuring five victims including four students. Scattering people in all directions, the shooting took place immediately after the royal court’s coronation on Tuesday, Oct. 3, canceling the rest of homecoming activities for the first time in the school’s history along with a week of classes. 

“Everyone started to run either into the dorm or the cafeteria,” Pope recalled. “People are getting trampled outside and running. Over 200 people were outside.” 

As they attempted to heal, many students accepted an invitation to attend nearby Bowie State University’s homecoming, which was scheduled during the same week. The football and festivities on Saturday, however, ended with more gunfire that injured two more people. Neither of them were students. 

The back-to-back shootings at two of Maryland’s historically Black colleges and universities have left many campuses nationwide on edge. It is the height of homecoming season with students and alumni poised to celebrate the legacy and culture of their alma maters, with the largest gathering happening this week at Howard University. The shootings also follow a string of bomb threats at HBCUs and other crimes that have spilled onto their campuses from the cities that surround them.

“It was Morgan State, Bowie State and, most recently on Sunday, there was also a shooting in which a student was killed at Jackson State unfortunately,” said Marcus Lyles, Howard’s chief of police. “First and foremost, with the incidents that they’ve had, Howard stands with our sister universities against violence.”

Edward Waters University, an HBCU in Jacksonville, Florida, narrowly avoided being part of a killing spree during the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington earlier this semester when a campus officer, Lt. Antonio Bailey, forced 21-year-old Ryan Palmeter to leave the school. Palmeter then shot and killed three Black individuals at a dollar store less than a mile away before turning the weapon on himself.

“It’s unfortunate what we’re seeing nationwide – a violent uptick – and it is concerning with all universities, not just HBCUs,” Lyles said. “We don’t own the moniker of violence.” 

In this special report, the staff of Howard University News Service puts all of this in context, including updates on the two homecoming incidents in Baltimore and Bowie, safety concerns at HBCUs, mass shootings at U.S. colleges overall and the outlook this week at Howard. 

The Mass Shooting at Morgan State University in Baltimore

The Baltimore Police Department arrested a 17-year-old teenager Friday morning and charged him with attempted murder in connection with the 9:30 p.m. shooting outside the Thurgood Marshall Residence Hall at Morgan State as more than 2,000 left the coronation at the Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center on Tuesday, Oct. 7. 

Police have also issued a warrant for Jovan Williams, 18, offering a $9,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. None of the five victims were the initial target of the shooters, according to police.

After the shootings, the emergency alert system notified students of a shelter-in-place order by social media, email, university mobile app and website. 

“I don’t think my school was prepared for this, because there was not a lot of reinforcement there when it happened,” said Nia Marshall, the secretary of Morgan State’s chapter of the NAACP. “Our officers were running with us at the shooting.” 

During the shelter-in-place, Baltimore police searched for an “active shooter” throughout the campus, including the dorm where London Pope stays. 

A mix of campus police, Baltimore officers and a SWAT team came into her dorm around 10:30 p.m., ordering each student to come out into the hallway. 

Police ordered only her Black male friends to lift up their shirts to reveal their waistbands and checked them thoroughly, according to Pope. 

“They had these huge [assault rifle] style guns pointed at us with flashlights,” she said. “This is my home, like we live here. And to have the carelessness of 15 white men pointing these huge guns on our faces, that was the worst part.” 

Video from inside a freshman student’s dorm room at Morgan State University following the shooting last night: pic.twitter.com/Lmx5l9ykD9

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) October 4, 2023

The shelter-in-place was lifted around 12:30 a.m. However, if students wanted to leave the dorms, they had to go through the back doors of the cafeteria, Pope said.

Following the shooting, classes were canceled for the remainder of the week, as well as homecoming activities. 

“Regrettably for the very first time in Morgan’s history all activities planned around homecoming will be either canceled or postponed until the perpetrator(s) of this atrocity have been found and brought to justice,” said David K. Wilson, the president of Morgan State, in a letter to the student body. 

Shooting Sparks a Conversation for Change at Bowie State

Morgan State students were invited to celebrate Bowie State’s homecoming, but things took a turn when two 19-year-old men were shot in front of Henry Circle, an area of green space near the university’s Center for Business and Graduate Studies. The shooting was reported at 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7. In response to the shooting, campus police ordered a shelter-in-place that was lifted around 3 a.m., and classes were canceled until Monday, Oct. 16.

The victims, who had no connection to either university, were transported to a nearby hospital, according to the Maryland State Police (MSP). Police recovered one firearm, but no suspects are in custody. 

MSP announced a potential suspect of interest and offered a $2,500 reward for any information that led to an arrest and indictment in the case. Investigators believe more than one suspect is at large. However, they say neither the campus nor the surrounding community faces further threats at this time.

“This isn’t common,” said Uzo Anaele, a senior at Bowie State University. “Last year, the year before, this was not something that happened. It’s not something we should be expecting.”

Bowie State University is offering support for heightened stress levels and mental health challenges, including group exercise classes and counseling services. 

Aquila Mitchell, the director of counseling services, is leading efforts, providing a 24-hour helpline, counseling sessions and seminars in residence halls for students to feel supported and heard. Anaele said the university’s mental health resources are working and administration should continue these options to ensure students’ safety. 

Chief Wesley Bentil, who was coronated as Mister Junior on Bowie State’s royal court, said the campus is having an open dialogue about preventing violent incidents.  

“The campus is still recovering after the recent shooting,” Bentil said. “When we celebrate monumental events like homecoming, a shooting is the last thing we expect.” 

Anthony Williams, a Bowie State alumnus, stressed the increased concerns surrounding campus safety in the wake of the Morgan State incident, reflecting the apprehensions shared by many people. Williams emphasized the importance of open discussions and mutual support within the community.

“It was confusing,” Williams said. “I was debating about going to Bowie’s homecoming, because of the Morgan incident. The proximity, it’s too close.” 

“They make it seem like it’s a bad school,” he said of news reports. “We need to have conversations and support one another more.” 

Surveillance video of suspects of Morgan State shooting. (Photo: Baltimore Police Department)

Enhancing Security in the Aftermath of the Shootings 

Morgan State and Baltimore officials have held a series of press conferences to brief the community on the investigation and manhunt for the suspects, share other updates and provide safety tips. The briefings have included President Wilson, Baltimore’s Mayor Brandon Scott and Lance Hatcher, the campus Chief of Police and Public Safety. The Baltimore Police Department released a video on the day after the Morgan State shooting on persons of interest.  

During a town hall meeting, Wilson spoke about adding 8,000-foot-long fencing so that 90% of the campus is enclosed. 

“We’re doing this, let me be clear, not to keep out our neighbors and our community writ large; we are doing it to keep out the bad actors,” he said. 

Kenthia Morton of Detroit, whose son, Jae’Veyon, plays football at Morgan State and was also at Bowie State during its homecoming, says the extended fencing “is an excellent idea.” She welcomed security measures that were put into place before the gunfire, such as restrictions on visitation in campus housing during homecoming, and hopes for increased resources to do more, which would ease her fears.

“I had to email the director of housing to get approval to visit my son in his apartment to prevent any disciplinary action,” Morton said.

Students at the university said administrators have handled the situation pretty well and have supported its student body since the shooting. 

“Administration has made an effort to try to be transparent with the students, especially with the town hall,” said Jah’i Selassie, the editor-in-chief of the Spokesman, the university’s student newspaper. “They’ve kind of opened their doors a little bit more than they usually would. I would say to students, as far as hearing feedback about how people are feeling, they’re doing kind of temperature checks.” 

At Bowie State, President Aminta H. Breaux released a message detailing a series of security enhancements such as patrolling officers from campus and local police, 19 new emergency phone poles, enhanced facial recognition cameras, as well as electronic locks and card readers. 

The university is also considering the following enhancements: 

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Weapons Detection System
• Extend perimeter fencing to control access points onto the campus
• ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system
• Metal detectors in residential housing
• Upgrade of all campus exterior lighting to LED
• Additional license plate readers throughout campus
• Active Shooter Attack Prevention and Preparedness training for faculty, staff and students.

The university emphasized the importance of community involvement in ensuring campus safety and provided resources for support and mental health in a town hall following the shooting. Bowie State has also expressed its commitment to transparency in addressing concerns raised by the community.

“Our top priority is to create an environment where we all feel safe while preserving the sense of a welcoming community,” Breaux said. 

The Outlook at Howard as the Mecca Celebrates Homecoming 

Niamaya Ayodele-El Hearns, a sophomore at Howard University, is planning to attend homecoming festivities this week, but is anticipating updated safety protocols along with other students, parents, faculty, staff, returning alumni and guests. 

“I expect there to at least be enough security there,” Ayodele-el Hearns said. “I feel like Howard is always in numbers, but there should be enough to be everywhere all at once. People that are not students should definitely be monitored.”

Howard Police Chief Marcus Lyles said that the university has implemented security measures to keep the campus as safe as possible.  

“As it relates to our homecoming, you don’t have to get ready if you stay ready,” Lyles said in a HUNS interview. “We’ve been preparing for our homecoming for six months.”

“Our posture, of course, around all homecomings and major events will be heightened,” he explained. “We will have additional resources both internally and externally. We’ll have resources in place that they’ll see, and also resources in place that they won’t see for intelligence purposes.” 

Ericka Blount, a former journalism lecturer at Morgan State and Maryland resident who now teaches at Howard, was disheartened by the news of the shootings.

“It’s starting to feel like a pattern, and that’s a scary thought,” Blount said, also citing the trauma of the bomb threats at HBCUs and the COVID-19 pandemic. “Something like this just sort of dampened the mood, particularly of a homecoming.”

With an open campus and public streets in the heart of a metropolitan area, making the university feel safe can be challenging.

“Being on a college campus should be a joyful and optimistic experience, especially during homecoming season,” Howard President Ben Vinson III said in an email to students, faculty and staff. “We remain committed to working in partnership with our campus community, external partners and neighbors to ensure that our campus is safe and that it is a nurturing haven for our students to thrive.” 

Lyles emphasized the role of the community. “We ask that our community partners with us,” he said. “Essentially, we ask that they are our eyes and ears. See something; say something.”

The Howard University Student Association (HUSA) formed an Advisory Safety Council in collaboration with the university’s administration and the Department of Public Safety after students were violently attacked outside of a dorm in August. Together, council members examine ways to protect students, faculty and staff. 

Aaron Johnson, a senior at Howard and HUSA’s campus health director, says the council has been actively strategizing for a safe homecoming. 

“HUSA will continue to meet with all parties connected to homecoming,” Johnson told HUNS. 

Students can expect “a rise in the security presence,” stipulations on bags brought into the game against Norfolk State University on Saturday and safety tips, Johnson told HUNS.

To secure preventative measures, the Howard administration has encouraged students to pick up a Peace of Mind (POM) device. These small devices are intended to connect students and faculty with campus and local police, depending on the user’s location. Students can pick up their devices at the Howard University Service Center. 

In addition to POMs, Lyles also recommends adding the number to the 24-hour command center for campus police in cell phones and downloading the BisonSafe app. 

“We’re asking that visitors also download that application, so when our emergency management team sends a communication out, they’ll receive it, and they’ll know what’s going on.” 

Gun Violence and Other Threats on College Campuses 

Dasean Best, a senior at Bowie State University, voiced the thoughts of many people in the aftermath of the recent shootings. He stressed the importance of eliminating negative biases and recognizing that such incidents affect American college communities as a whole.

“I was hoping this wouldn’t happen, and it was sad,” Best said. “It’s important to emphasize that it wasn’t any of the students and that this was an isolated event.” 

There have been two college mass shootings this school year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The archive collects data daily from over 7,500 sources, including law enforcement, media and government. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a mass shooting is when four or more people are injured or killed by a firearm, which is the classification that the archive uses. 

However, the term “mass shooting” does not include all shootings on college campuses this year, which would exclude the homecoming incident at Bowie State that left two people injured. 

“When a shooting happens at our HBCUs  [people] spin this negative narrative,” Best said. “It’s not just HBCUs; it’s college communities as a whole.” For example, police charged a doctoral student with first-degree murder in the shooting death of his faculty adviser at the University of North Carolina in August.

Gun violence is an issue that has been troubling students since the 1960s. According to research from the Violence Project, college campuses in the United States have endured approximately 12 mass shootings and over 300 instances of gunfire. However, the public has not focused major attention on campus shooting incidents, especially at HBCUs.

As a student journalist and someone who led the coverage of Morgan State’s shootings, Selassie said news outlets, especially the more conservative ones, didn’t treat the shooting appropriately. 

Some outlets failed to report the incident at Morgan State as a mass shooting despite the number of victims corresponding with the  FBI definition of suspects “actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.” Other outlets have reported only on the breaking news of the shootings, but not the universities’ efforts to increase safety on the campuses. 

Local and national outlets have pointed out that Morgan State has had three consecutive shootings in recent years, without contextualizing the violence in the city as well as other campuses in the metropolitan area. 

This year Baltimore has experienced 524 non-fatal shootings compared to 553 last year, according to the Baltimore Police Department. 

Towson University is among Maryland colleges that experienced an active shooting situation when three individuals were shot in September of 2021. 

With the increase in gun violence on college campuses, universities are altering safety measures to ensure students and faculty are safe. 

“We’re prepared for a multitude of various threats that can be posed,” Lyles said.

“We do two or three active shooter trainings a week,” he explained. “That’s community training,  but also our team internally partners both with local and federal agencies two times a year for tactical training for these types of incidents.”

Devin Powell, an alumna from Bowie State, attended this year’s homecoming events. In regards to the security measures taken by the university, Powell expresses gratitude for the growth that has been made under Bowie State’s President Aminta H. Breaux.

“Dr. Breaux might be new, but she has made changes, and she is doing her best in her efforts to make sure that Bowie constantly improves,” Powell said.

Shootings aren’t the only issues HBCUs have to worry about. A third of the nation’s HBCUs received bomb threats over the past year or so. 

The U.S. Department of Education has referred to the safety protocol for HBCUs within the 2022 publication of the “HBCU Bomb Threat Resource Guide,” which is part of a White House initiative on advancing educational equity, excellence and economic opportunity. The document was created to provide guidance to universities by listing campus safety resources, agency roles in HBCU emergency management and bomb threat procedures. 

“As HBCUs experience a resurgence, it becomes essential to implement solutions while fostering collaboration among all HBCUs,” said Stacey Patton, Ph.D., a former professor at Morgan State who now teaches at Howard. “Failing to do so would mean missing out on an opportunity for progress and advancement at a time when these institutions are desperately needed.” 

HUNewsService.com reporters Alanis Baluyot McNeal, Gregory Lloydon Coleman, Aiyana Fewell, Phenix Halley, Ebenezer Nkuda, Madison Pina, Asha Taylor and Essence Wiley contributed to this article. Education reporter Alecia Taylor was also the project coordinator and editor. Additional photography by Jordan Jarrett.

A CAMPUS IN MOURNING: Elayne H. Anthony, acting president of Jackson State University in Mississippi, canceled classes Monday after the shooting death of Jaylen Burns, an industrial technology major from Chicago, at the University Pointe Apartment Complex. Burns was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and president of the C100 chapter of the 100 Black Men of America. He was killed Sunday night, following a week of homecoming events at Jackson State. Campus Police Chief Herman Horton announced on Thursday afternoon that Joshua Brown, 19, has been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation. (Updated on Oct. 20, 2023)

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ALSO WATCH: Howard University Students React to Shooting at Fellow HBCU Morgan State