Violence targeting students on college campuses raises fears of outsiders

Last month, shootings occurred around two HBCUs, leaving administrators scrambling amid efforts to increase security at schools.

On October 24, while Howard University was holding its annual Homecoming event, a woman, three men, and a teenage boy were shot just steps from campus in Washington, D.C. Although none of the victims were students, one student was reportedly enrolled at Morgan State University in Maryland.

That same weekend, a shooting at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania left one person dead and six injured, according to authorities. A suspect was later taken into custody in connection with the shooting.

"The sad thing is, in these communities, you're finding that some people are armed and also enjoy athletic events. They're armed with guns and decide to attend these athletic events, and bring their guns with them," Ted Williams, a former state police officer and criminal and civil lawyer, told Fox News Digital.

Also, according to Inside Higher Ed, a shooting at South Carolina State University's homecoming ceremony killed a 19-year-old visitor and injured another. The shooter is reported to not be a student at the university.

According to this report, three people were arrested at Louisiana's Southern University and A&M College homecoming ceremony after they were allegedly caught carrying guns on campus. One person reportedly fired the gun, though no one was injured.

Williams said, "These individuals are outside the college community, [and] are causing problems and havoc for those who want to attend one of these athletic events on an HBCU campus without getting shot. It's very shocking."

Two other HBCUs – Jackson State University and Alcorn State University – have also reportedly experienced shootings at their homecoming events, with one person shot and killed at Alcorn State.

Williams said, "No one should have to live like this, but we have some thugs who attend these HBCU events and they are bent on causing havoc."

In addition to the various homecoming shootings on HBCU campuses, many schools have been the victims of swatting rumors spread with the aim of sowing confusion and chaos in the community.

Swatting is an action in which a large number of law enforcement agencies are incited by false reports of an emergency – such as a bomb threat or a school shooting.

According to a UNCF study, HBCUs receive a disproportionately higher number of threats than other institutions nationwide. Over the past three years, HBCUs received 76 threats, ultimately affecting 51 out of 101 institutions and resulting in campus operations being suspended until officials identified the unknown threat.

Given the increasing number of threats and incidents of violence on HBCU campuses, many schools have opted to enhance security to ensure student safety.

According to Inside Higher Ed, starting in 2022, many campuses have added new security features—such as installing more cameras on campus and hiring additional police officers—and are also working to strengthen their relationships with federal and local law enforcement agencies.

These steps can help authorities identify who is and who is not on campus, as most cases involve perpetrators who have no connection to the school.

South Carolina State University has been placed on lockdown following a reported shooting incident on campus.

Williams told Fox News Digital, "The only acceptable solution would be for HBCU law enforcement officers to work with local law enforcement officers to try to prevent incidents like this from happening."

Williams pointed to schools potentially using magnetometers at events, while additional law enforcement officers could be deployed to patrol the perimeters of large gatherings.