Morgan State University plans to build wall around campus after homecoming week shooting

Christopher Cann, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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Morgan State University leaders have announced plans to build a wall around the campus after a shooting that injured five people, including four students, during homecoming week celebrations. Police, meanwhile, are calling on the public to help them identify two persons of interest in the case.

David Wilson, the president of Morgan State University, said at a campus town hall Tuesday that the wall would effectively "eliminate unfettered access" by extending existing barriers by about 8,000 feet, encircling 90% of the campus.

“We’re doing this, let me be clear, not to keep out our neighbors and our community writ large," Wilson said. "We are doing it to keep out the bad actors."

Morgan State University President David Wilson speaks at a news conference after a shooting on campus, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, in Baltimore. Multiple people were wounded, none critically, in a shooting that interrupted a homecoming week celebration at the university in Baltimore on Tuesday and prompted an hourslong lockdown of the historically Black college. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

In addition to the wall, possible upgrades include installing more metal detectors in campus buildings, exploring weapons detection technology, increasing police patrols and building additional security guard booths.

Wilson said that the expected cost is more than $22 million and that a proposal will be sent to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

Baltimore police ask for help identifying two men

On Tuesday, the Baltimore Police Department posted images of two men sought in connection with the Oct. 3 shooting. The images, taken by surveillance cameras, were accompanied by a plea to the public for help identifying the two men. Days earlier, police released a video showing several people walking in a grassy area along with a request for tips that may lead to their identification.

The combined reward totals for tips leading to an arrest and charges is at $9,000, authorities said.

What happened at Morgan State University?

Gunfire erupted on campus around 9:25 p.m. after a dispute between two groups, authorities said. All the victims, 18 to 22 years old, were unintended targets.

The shooting occurred just after a coronation ceremony, an event that was part of a pre-homecoming game ritual and prompted an hourslong lockdown on the campus as SWAT officers cleared a dorm building where investigators believed shooters may have fled. None were found.

A bullet-shattered window of a dorm room is seen at Thurgood Marshall Hall at Morgan State University on Oct. 4, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. Police are still looking two suspects who opened fire on the campus of the historically black college as students were attending a homecoming week event, injuring five people. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

All of the victims were sent to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

The shooting canceled the rest of the week's homecoming events, including Saturday's football game, for the first time in the university's history.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Morgan State University announces wall around campus after shooting