Police in Baltimore have asked the community for help in identifying a group of people seen in surveillance video recorded the same night as the shooting at Morgan State University.
The clip, released by authorities late Wednesday, shows four individuals walking through a grassy area not far from where gunfire erupted on the historically Black campus. Students, most of them dressed in suits and gowns, were on their way to a coronation ball — held every year during homecoming week to celebrate the freshly crowned Mr. and Miss Morgan State — when the shooting started Tuesday around 9:25 p.m.
University police officers already on patrol rushed toward the gunfire and quickly discovered five people suffering gunshot wounds. The victims, who are all between the ages of 18 and 22 years old, include four students. They were all hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
None of their names have been released.
During a press conference Wednesday night, Police Commissioner Richard Worley told reporters that at least two people opened fire amid a dispute between two groups at the university’s homecoming events. Investigators suspect the shooters hoped to hit a single person, Worley said, adding that none of those wounded in the violence were the intended target.
A third person was also armed during the brawl, though it’s not clear whether he pulled the trigger. Worley noted ballistics testing will confirm how many shooters were actually involved.
No arrests have yet to be made.
AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson
Morgan State University Police Chief Lance Hatcher speaks at a news conference after a shooting on campus, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
In the aftermath of the shooting, University President David Wilson announced that all other homecoming events and classes for the remainder of the week, including Saturday’s football game, have been canceled. He said it marked the first cancellation of such events in the school’s history.
It’s not, however, the first time the festivities have been rocked by violence. Last October, a young man was shot during what officials called an unsanctioned homecoming after-party, and the year before, a freshman was arrested and charged with shooting his classmate over homecoming weekend.
With News Wire Services