Over the past several weeks, shootings have occurred on three HBCU campuses.
On Tuesday, Oct. 3, at approximately 9:27 p.m. Morgan State University police were notified and responded to shots fired on campus at the Thurgood Marshall Residence Hall and Murphy Fine Arts Center. Once residents were evacuated from the scene, it was confirmed that five individuals, four males and one female, were harmed. These individuals were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. With the results of this tragic event, homecoming festivities were canceled for the rest of the week at the university.
Nearly 10 days later, on Oct. 12, the Baltimore police department arrested a 17-year-old male in Washington, D.C. The metro police as well as federal law enforcement were able to track down the individual from surveillance videos obtained during the shooting.
One week later, at Bowie State University’s homecoming, the fun-filled week of events were halted Saturday night when gunshots were fired, resulting in two young men being shot. The shooting took place on Henry Circle on the college’s campus.
Police responded to the shooting and found the young men, both aged 19, with non-life threatening injuries. Following the shooting, classes were canceled for the following week.
With the world still processing the shootings at Bowie and Morgan State, a third shooting took place at Jackson State University, an HBCU in Jackson, Miss. Jaylen Burns, a student at Jackson State, was killed at an apartment complex near campus while helping a friend move out of a girlfriend’s apartment. A group of the girlfriend’s friends were there along with Burns and his friend when a fight broke out. Burns was shot and killed trying to break the fight up.
With FAMU’s homecoming about to begin, many students, parents and faculty members are on edge amid the previous school shootings.
Briana Jackson, a second year pre-pharmacy student from Upper Marlboro, MD, voiced her concerns about homecoming this year and how several of her friends were impacted during the Bowie and Morgan State University shootings.
“My best friend Kennedy Holland who currently serves as Ms. NPHC at Morgan State was in the coronation when shots were fired,” Jackson said. “The shooting caused me to become more alert when it came to attending my homecoming in the coming weeks.”
Jackson commended FAMU PD on the actions they have taken to ensure the students, faculty, parents, and alumni that safety is the No. 1 priority during the homecoming season.
“I believe FAMU PD should continue to do what they are doing when it comes to game day safety with restrictions on bags and also checking individuals thoroughly,” Jackson said. “I do believe that in order to ensure our own safety, we as students should travel in groups, and never go anywhere alone.”
Laila Wilson, a fourth year broadcast journalism student, finds herself scared to celebrate homecoming this year.
“I feel edgy about attending homecoming events this year amidst the multiple shootings that have occurred at several HBCUs,” Wilson said. “This is currently a scary time for college students, when we should be able to enjoy ourselves and network during the homecoming season.”
Wilson said she vividly remembers a close family friend being shot during a home game two years ago.
“Louis Tre Sanders, a stepson of Coach Simmons who is a close friend of my family, was shot, leaving our entire family in shock,” Wilson said. “This event has shown me that I must be aware of my surroundings at all times and travel with a group of friends. I plan to use these same ideas going into this year’s homecoming.”
On Oct. 17 students, faculty, and staff gathered in the Perry Paige auditorium for a Town Hall meeting to discuss homecoming safety and emergency management.
Emergency management coordinator Ashley Davis and John Cotton with the FAMU Police Department, told the audience about ways they can stay safe during homecoming and plans that the university has to ensure their safety. The two officials recommend members of the community along with students to set up FAMU Alert notifications and be aware of what’s going on.
The university has implemented several strategies to ensure that individuals coming to celebrate FAMU’s homecoming are safe. Some of these implementations include additional security and Real Time Crime Center, an establishment geared to monitoring the community.
With homecoming just days away thousands of people from all over will be coming to Tallahassee. The university plans to keep these individuals safe and ensure that the school is not a victim of another shooting at an HBCU.