Morgan State University: Here’s what to know about the site of Tuesday’s school shooting in Baltimore
Five people, including four students, suffered non-life-threatening injuries after gunfire erupted on Morgan State University’s campus in Northeast Baltimore on Tuesday night.
Baltimore Police and federal agents responded to campus after the university’s officers heard shots being fired around 9:30 p.m. and found multiple victims in the area of a campus residential building and a fine arts facility.
No suspect has been identified, Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said at a news conference early Wednesday morning. The victims — four men and one woman — are 18 to 22 years old, Worley said.
“What happened on our campus was such a senseless act of violence perpetrated on our community,” Morgan State President David K. Wilson said in a letter to the campus community.
Here’s what to know about the university in the aftermath of the shooting.
What is Morgan State University?
Morgan State is one of Maryland’s four historically Black colleges and universities. Founded in 1867, the school, located at 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, has over 140 academic programs and has graduated more than 55,000 degree candidates, according to its website.
As the biggest HBCU in the state, Morgan had over 9,100 students enrolled in fall 2022. However, unlike its HBCU counterparts, Morgan is not a part of the University System of Maryland and is overseen by its own Board of Regents.
Heading the university leadership is Wilson, who stepped into the role in 2010. He signed a seven-year contract extension in May.
Where did the shooting take place?
Police believe the shooting took place outside around the area of Thurgood Marshall Hall, one of Morgan State’s six on-campus residential facilities, and the Murphy Fine Arts Center.
Marshall Hall is a coed facility for new, returning and transfer students, according to the university’s website. The Murphy Center houses studios, classrooms and auditoriums used by the university’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts. It includes a 2,000-seat concert hall and a 300-seat theater.
Both buildings are located on the lower tip of the campus, near Hillen Road. The shooting occurred near several other residential buildings, including the Rawlings Residence Complex and Blount Towers.
Students on the campus were instructed to shelter in place until after midnight. Although a suspect is still at large, Worley said, the decision to lift the shelter order was made after a SWAT team had “cleared the building where we thought the suspect may have ran, or where we thought the shots came from.”
What is security like at Morgan State?
Like many universities, Morgan State has its own police force that includes sworn officers, civilian personnel and security officers, the police website states. The public campus is patrolled by the department 24 hours a day. To gain access to some facilities, a university ID is required.
Earlier this year, the university implemented metal detectors at its resident halls, including Marshall Hall, The Spokesman, the school’s student newspaper, reported.
What resources are available for Morgan State students after the shooting?
The university has instructed students seeking mental health assistance in the wake of the shooting to contact the University Counseling Center by calling 443-885-3130. Students can also access support online via UWill Counseling Services.
What’s going to happen to homecoming?
The shooting coincided with the university’s annual homecoming festivities, drawing alumni back to Morgan State.
A host hotel and three overflow ones for alumni to stay at during this year’s homecoming are sold out.
Earlier Tuesday evening, as part of the homecoming week, the school held the coronation of Mister and Miss Morgan State at the fine arts center before the shots started. Wilson attended the event and said it was “beautiful.”
In addition to the coronation, the campus advisory board planned several other events leading up to Saturday’s football matchup against Stony Brook University. The events included a concert with performances from rappers Money Jake, who’s from West Baltimore, and Sexyy Red.
The advisory board was also set to hold a parade before the football game, but it’s unclear if the previously scheduled events will remain as planned.
“I am 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,” Wilson said in his letter.
What about classes?
In the wake of the shooting, the university canceled classes on Wednesday “in the abundance of caution,” the university announced on X, formerly known as Twitter. The university has not announced whether classes will resume Thursday.
