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Morgan State shooting wounded five innocent bystanders in ‘fight’

Shooting at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland left five victims wounded while up to three shooters remain at large

Maroosha Muzaffar,Holly Hales
Wednesday 04 October 2023 22:06 BST
Shooting on campus of Morgan State University in Baltimore

Police in Baltimore said on Wednesday that they are still searching for a suspect involved in a shooting at Morgan State University that left five innocent bystanders injured on Tuesday evening.

Students and faculty on campus were celebrating homecoming and the crowning of Mr and Miss Morgan State University when gunshots rang out around 9.30pm. The campus was plunged into lockdown with authorities believing that an “active shooter situation” was taking place.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said that the shooting was likely a result of a dispute between two groups of people.

Five bystanders were injured as a result of the gunfire, four of which are students at the university. Officials confirmed on Wednesday morning that none of them suffered life-threatening injuries.

Baltimore City Council Member Ryan Dorsey said in a post on X that he had been told there may have been three separate shooters firing into the crowd. No suspects have been named.

At the press briefing, police refused to confirm how many shooters they believed there to be.

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Shooting is one of more than 500 mass shootings this year

The shooting at Morgan State University is just one of 531 that have plagued the US so far this year.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, more than 3,067 teenagers have been injured as a result of mass shootings – the five people injured on the university’s campus are just a small portion of that number.

Americans are no strangers to mass shootings – especially school-related shootings.

Ariana Baio4 October 2023 14:00
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University offers counseling services to those affected

Morgan State University officials said they would be offering counseling services to students after the shooting last night left five people injured.

On the school’s website and social media pages, they asked students in need of assistance to reach out to the University Counseling Centre.

Students are able to access this by visiting it’s physical location, it’s online website called UWill Counseling Services, or by calling it’s number: 443-885-3150.

The university also cancelled classes today (Wednesday 4 October) to allow students and faculty to take a break after the traumatising incident.

Ariana Baio4 October 2023 14:30
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An almost a shooting at a historically Black college earlier this year

In Jacksonville, Florida earlier this year a mass shooting could have occurred at Edward Waters University, a historically Black private Christian university, in the city.

The shooter, armed with an AR-15-style rifle and handgun, brought tactical gear to the university but left soon after students noticed his presence and flagged it to a security guard.

Police later determined the Jacksonville shooting was racially motivated.

White gunman killed three victims in Florida with assault rifle covered in swastikas

Suspected shooter’s parents called Clay County Sheriff’s Office after they told deputies they had found a manifesto

Ariana Baio4 October 2023 15:00
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Student describes ‘chaotic’ situation on campus

A student on the Morgan State University campus described the horrific and chaotic scene as their homecoming celebration turned sour due to a shooting.

“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,” the student named David told WBAL.

Morgan State University is a historically Black college.

Five people were injured in the shooting, four of which are students.

The school was preparing to celebrate its homecoming at its Student Center where two were to be crowned Mr and Miss Morgan State University.

David, who lives on campus, said the incident was pure “chaos” as he at first thought that the sounds were fireworks.

“I didn’t know what was going on I just started fearing for my life like everybody else did,” he said. “Then real fear set in and then I realized … this could be an active shooter.”

Ariana Baio4 October 2023 15:30
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Maryland governor says office ‘monitoring the situation'

Maryland governor Wes Moore tweeted that his office was monitoring the situation at Morgan State University on Tuesday evening following a shooting that left five people injured.

“My office is aware of the shooting incident on the Morgan State University campus. My team and I are in close contact with officials on the ground and are monitoring the situation,” Mr Moore wrote.

He thanked first responders for rushing to the scene to tend to victims and ensure nobody else was hurt.

Ariana Baio4 October 2023 16:00
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Mayor of Baltimore condemns shooter

Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott condemned the shooting that occurred on Morgan State University campus on Tuesday evening, saying the person responsible for the shooting did not possess enough responsibility to own a firearm.

“If you got into a basic conflict... you don’t pull out a gun and shoot someone,” Mr Scott said on WBAL Radio on Wednesday morning.

Five people were injured on the Historically Black College campus after shots were fired during homecoming celebrations.

Mr Scott said the Morgan State Baltimore Police Department are working with the Northeast Baltimore Police Department to investigate the matter and find out who conducted the shooting.

“They’re going to be working with Morgan State BPD (Baltimore Police Department) to make sure that we are looking at every single thing from video footage to going through talking to everyone that was there to gain every sense of information about who decided to cowardly shoot someone on Morgan’s campus,” Mr Scott said.

The mayor added that the person who conducted the shooting had “no respect for anyone or anything.”

Ariana Baio4 October 2023 16:30
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Where is Morgan State University?

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Ariana Baio4 October 2023 17:00
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President of Morgan State University issues statement

David Wilson, the president of Morgan State University, issued a statement on the shooting on Wednesday calling it a “senseless act of violence” and offering prayers to victims.

Mr Wilson said he was leaving the Murphy Fine Arts Centre, where the coronation of Mr and Miss Morgan State University when he was informed of the shooting that occurred in the vicinity of the building.

From there, he was informed by Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott and Maryland governor Wes Moore of the shooting and subsequent investigation.

”Our prayers are with our students who suffered injuries, and their loved ones,” Mr Wilson said in a statement obtained by WJZ.

“This was such a senseless act of violence perpetrated on our community after what was a family-filled and fun evening of celebrating the pageantry and beauty of our students,” Mr Wilson said. “But Morgan is a strong family and we will march on with determination to keep moving on.”

Ariana Baio4 October 2023 18:00
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Unclear if homecoming events will continue

After a shooting at Morgan State University (MSU) on Tuesday evening left five people on campus injured, the executive committee of the school will determine if homecoming events should continue this week.

As students and campus faculty were convening at the Murphy Fine Arts Centre to celebrate the crowning of Mr and Miss Morgan State University for homecoming week, shots were fired on the Historically Black College campus sending it into a lockdown.

Four of the five people injured were students.

MSU president David Wilson sent a message to members of the community and said they would determine if events should continue after the horrific incident later today.

“Please know that classes are being cancelled today. I will be convening a meeting with my Executive Cabinet this morning to rethink the rest of Homecoming activities this week and will inform the university community of our decision later this afternoon,” Mr Wilson said in a statement obtained by WJZ.

Ariana Baio4 October 2023 19:00
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Victims were likely ‘unintended targets’

Baltimore Police said the five people who were injured as a result of a shooting at Morgan State University on Tuesday night were more than likely “unintended targets” of a dispute between two groups of people, Baltimore Police commissioner Richard Worley said in a press conference on Wednesday.

Mr Worley said that none of the people injured were not part of that dispute.

Four of the people injured were students at MSU. All five, ranging in age from 18 to 22, were hospitalised with non life-threatening injuries. One student has since been released from the hospital.

Ariana Baio4 October 2023 19:50

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