Mass shootings at, near 2 historically black colleges on their homecoming weekends raise concerns about possible deadly trend

Mass shootings at and near a pair of historically black colleges and universities over their homecoming weekends Friday and Saturday left one dead and at least 11 wounded, authorities said.

The violence was an eerie repeat of tragedies that took place last fall at two HBCUs — also during their homecoming festivities — and some observers are concerned about a possible trend.

‘This is becoming an every-year occurrence at a lot of schools.’

1 dead, 6 wounded at Lincoln University

At Lincoln University in Chester County, Pennsylvania — about an hour and 15 minutes west of Philadelphia — one person was killed and at least six people were wounded after a shooting Saturday evening, WHP-TV reported.

Officials identified one suspect as 21-year-old Zecqueous Morgan-Thompson, the station said, adding that court documents indicated he was charged with carrying a firearm without a license and was being held in Chester County Prison on $25,000 bail.

Officials said they believe the suspects did not attend homecoming with the intent to commit a mass shooting, WHP reported.

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A 25-year-old male from Wilmington, Delaware, was identified as the deceased victim, the station said, adding that he reportedly was shot in the head. The six wounded victims are expected to survive and are in the same age range — between 20 and 25 years old, WHP said.

Lincoln University’s president in a Sunday statement said classes are canceled Monday in order to have a day of “healing and reflection,” the station said.

More from WHP:

Authorities have not released the names of any victims. The DA said they were in the process of speaking with victims to learn more about what happened during the shooting.

Lincoln University’s police chief said the shots were fired in the parking lot of the International Cultural Center on campus. He said at the time there was a tailgate ceremony taking place following the college’s homecoming football game. He said tents and other tables were set up throughout the lot.

5 wounded near Howard University

Five people were shot near Howard University — a historically black college and university in Washington, D.C. — on Friday night during its homecoming weekend, WRC-TV reported.

D.C. police said the victims — four adults and a teenager — were taken to hospitals and were expected to survive after the shooting at Georgia Avenue and Howard Place, the station said.

Witnesses told WRC that dozens of people ran down Georgia Avenue from the shooting scene to a McDonald’s after shots were fired.

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According to a statement from Howard University, a fight or confrontation between two suspects occurred before shots were fired, WRC reported, adding that police said none of the shooting victims are Howard students.

The university added in a Saturday statement that nobody from Howard was involved in the shooting, the station reported.

WRC said the university’s Homecoming Kick-Off Alumni & Friends Welcome Reception and the Greek Step Show were being held Friday night.

‘Something’s going on’

The Root, in its report about the pair of shootings, quoted a TikTok user as remarking, “First Howard, now Lincoln, something’s going on.”

The outlet added, “Among the jokes and quippy TikToks is something darker … Black Americans are feeling unsafe.”

The Root said another TikTok user recalled shootings last year at HBCUs and wondered if this represents a trend. Another user said, “This is becoming an every-year occurrence at a lot of schools, smh,” according to the outlet.

Last fall, two shootings occurred at two HBCUs — also during their homecoming weekends.

A dozen people were shot — one of them fatally — at Tuskegee University in Alabama last November. The deceased individual, an 18-year-old, reportedly died at the scene. One man reportedly was charged with possession of a machine gun in connection with the shooting. A month prior, five people were shot — one fatally — in a crowded area near a campus concert at Albany State University in Georgia.

Following the 2024 HBCU shootings, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter penned an op-ed stating that there is a “growing and disturbing trend of gun violence that is threatening to change the nature of Black colleges’ most sacred institution — homecoming.”

The AJC reporter, Ernie Suggs, added:

In 2022, four people, including three students, were wounded near Clark Atlanta University after a drive-by shooting during a homecoming celebration.

In 2023, five people, including four students, were shot at Morgan State University. It was the third consecutive year that homecoming festivities at the Baltimore school were marred by gunfire.

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