At least five people have been injured after a shooting at Morgan State University in Baltimore on Tuesday night. The incident occurred during a crowded outdoor pre-homecoming event, prompting an active shooter alert across the campus.
According to authorities, the shooting took place around 9:25pm local time near Argonne Drive, within a residential area at the northwest edge of the university campus. Police say multiple gunmen opened fire into the crowd, striking five victims aged 18-22.
The victims’ injuries were described as “non-life threatening” by Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley during a press conference. Four of those shot were confirmed to be students at Morgan State University.
First responders arrived on scene shortly after receiving emergency calls regarding shots fired. Aside from the victims, police discovered multiple shattered windows in the area. This led officials to issue an alert warning students and staff of an active shooter situation, ordering them to shelter in place immediately.
The shelter-in-place order remained in effect for nearly two hours before being lifted around midnight when police determined there was no longer an active threat. No arrests have been made and details regarding suspects have not been released.
According to Baltimore City Council Member Ryan Dorsey, police informed him there were three shooters involved in the incident. In a tweet, Dorsey stated: “Just received a call from BPD about a shooting at the Morgan campus. Five victims, none critical.”
The shooting occurred the night before Morgan State’s scheduled homecoming football game this Saturday. It disrupted the university’s busy homecoming week, which included the coronation of Mister & Miss Morgan State on the same night as the shooting.
In response to the incident, Maryland Governor Wes Moore said via Twitter he was in close contact with officials on the ground and monitoring the situation closely. He later expressed relief that the active shooter warning had been lifted and gratitude for the first responders who “rushed to the scene”.
University President David Wilson announced that all classes would be cancelled the following day, Wednesday 5 October. He said the university would provide updates regarding the resumption of other homecoming activities.
This shooting is just the latest in a string of gun violence incidents that have plagued the country. So far this year, over 14,000 people in the US have been killed by gun violence, with over 28,000 more injured, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.
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Image credit: 1msulax (Wikipedia)
