Two 19-year-old men were injured in a shooting that occurred near the Center for Business and Graduate Studies at Bowie State University on Saturday night, October 7, 2023. The incident happened around 11:30 p.m. during the homecoming weekend festivities. The victims, who are not students of the university, were taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The university was placed on lockdown for about three hours following the shooting. Maryland State Police and Bowie State University Police are investigating the motive and circumstances of the shooting. They believe that there were more than one shooter involved and that the shooting was an isolated incident. No arrests have been made so far.
Classes canceled on Monday as campus recovers
Bowie State University President Aminta Breaux announced that classes would be canceled on Monday, October 9, 2023, to allow the campus community to recover from the traumatic event. She also said that counseling services would be available for students, faculty, and staff who need emotional support.
“Our campus community is very much a peaceful community. And so this is not normal for Bowie State University,” Breaux said at a news conference on Sunday. She also thanked the law enforcement agencies and the medical personnel who responded to the scene.
Second shooting on an HBCU campus in less than a week
The shooting at Bowie State University was the second one to occur on a historically black college or university (HBCU) campus in less than a week during homecoming festivities. On Tuesday night, October 3, 2023, five people were wounded in a shooting at Morgan State University in Baltimore. The suspect, who is still at large, opened fire at a crowd outside a student union building.
The remainder of Morgan State’s homecoming events were canceled following the shooting. Bowie State University offered free tickets to Morgan State students for its homecoming game against Virginia State on Saturday afternoon. The game ended with a 44-16 loss for Bowie State.
Maryland State Police Superintendent Col. Roland Butler Jr. said that there was no evidence to suggest that the two shootings were connected. He urged anyone with information or video of the shooting at Bowie State to call the state police tip line at 301-860-4688.
