One person was killed and six were injured after a shooting took place at Pennsylvania’s HBCU Lincoln University on Saturday night (Oct.25).
According to officials, the person with the firearm was detained by police. They are currently investigating whether others were involved, but maintain that there is no current threat to the campus. Chester County detectives are leading the investigation, although state police and the FBI are also involved.
Per Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe, they have yet to figure out the motive behind the shooting, but they do not believe it was to “inflict mass damage” on the campus.
The gunfire allegedly opened up around 9:30 pm at the school’s International Cultural Center. A majority of students had gathered there to celebrate homecoming, an annual event created to celebrate the university’s creation. The students were celebrating the football game held earlier that afternoon.
No other details were given about the conditions of those injured. Multiple other students were also treated after being trampled amidst the chaos.
“This was to be a joyous occasion,” said the HBCU’s Chief of Police Marc Partee, per CNN. “Homecoming – when individuals come back, and they give back to their alma mater, and they live the good memories of their time at Lincoln University … This was interrupted by gunfire that should not have occurred.”
The shooting at Lincoln University came one day after multiple people were also injured near the Howard University campus during homecoming celebrations.
On Friday, gunfire was heard around 8:23 p.m. at the 600 block of Howard Place. Two suspects were promptly taken into custody after three weapons were found. Five people were taken to the hospital with non-threatening injuries as a result of the shooting.
While no Howard University students were harmed, one injured individual was a Morgan State University student.
The two shootings that took place this weekend are part of a rise in the number of gunfire incidents during homecoming events at HBCUs.
Two years ago, on Oct. 4th, five people were injured at Morgan State University during homecoming. It was believed that the shooters were targeting one person who was not one of the victims. Gunfire erupted as part of a dispute between two groups, according to officials.
That same weekend, two 19-year-old students were found with gunshot wounds at Bowie State University’s Center for Business and Graduate Studies. It was believed that this shooting was an isolated event.
After the two college campuses were impacted, officials called for increased security at HBCU campuses.
“I was at Bowie. They didn’t have enough police. It was totally chaotic,” said NAACP President of the Randallstown chapter Ryan Coleman, per a statement. “It just seems that the (historically Black colleges and universities) are not getting the resources that they need, and whether it’s fighting over programming with other schools or actually
