Campus Alert Archive
BSU

Second HBCU Homecoming Shooting in a Week as Two Teens Wounded at Bowie State

MDshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On October 7, 2023, two 19-year-old men who were not Bowie State students were shot near the Center for Business and Graduate Studies around 11:30 PM EDT during homecoming festivities, prompting a three-hour campus lockdown. The incident came just four days after the Morgan State University homecoming shooting in Baltimore, intensifying national scrutiny of HBCU campus safety during homecoming celebrations.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
2
Institution
Bowie State University
Hbcu · MD
~6,200 studentsBEES (Bowie State Electronic Emergency System)
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTmulti-channel
Approximate reconstruction180 chars
BSU ALERT: Shots fired on campus near the Center for Business and Graduate Studies. Shelter in place immediately. Lock doors and stay away from windows. Do not leave your building.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The shooting occurred around 11:30 PM EDT on October 7, 2023, near Henry Circle by the Center for Business and Graduate Studies
This was the second HBCU homecoming shooting in less than a week, following the Morgan State shooting on October 3
ALL CLEARmulti-channel
Approximate reconstruction181 chars
BSU ALERT: The shelter in place has been lifted. The campus is secure. Classes are canceled for the week. Counseling services are available. Report any information to campus police.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The campus was locked down from approximately 11:30 PM until 3:00 AM EDT, a span of roughly three and a half hours
BSU canceled classes for the entire week and offered wellness events and counseling
Context

Background

On the evening of October 7, 2023, the final night of Bowie State University's homecoming celebrations, gunfire erupted near the Center for Business and Graduate Studies on Henry Circle at approximately 11:30 PM EDT. Two 19-year-old men were found wounded and transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Neither victim was a Bowie State student. The campus was placed on lockdown until approximately 3:00 AM EDT, with Maryland State Police leading the investigation. Police recovered a firearm at the scene and believe more than one shooter was involved. The incident was particularly jarring because it came just four days after a mass shooting at Morgan State University's homecoming that wounded five people in Baltimore, roughly 45 minutes away. The back-to-back shootings at Maryland HBCUs prompted significant security changes at Bowie State, including enhanced screening for campus events and restricted guest access. The university canceled classes for the week and organized wellness events to support students, faculty, and staff.
Analysis

Key Findings

Neither victim was a Bowie State student, continuing the pattern of non-student visitors being involved in HBCU campus violence
The shooting came just four days after the Morgan State homecoming shooting, marking two HBCU homecoming shootings in Maryland within one week
The incident led to significant security policy changes at Bowie State, including enhanced screening and restricted guest access for campus events
Outcome
Two 19-year-old non-student visitors were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. No arrests were publicly announced. Police recovered a firearm and believe multiple shooters were involved. Bowie State canceled classes for the following week.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Bowie State Resolves to Move Past Homecoming Shooting Incident (Bowie State University)
    bowiestate.edu
  2. News
    Two men injured in shooting at Bowie State University (Washington Post)
    washingtonpost.com
  3. News
    Bowie State University: 2 injured after reports of shots fired (CNN)
    cnn.com
  4. Official
    Maryland State Police Investigating Shooting At Bowie State University
    news.maryland.gov
  5. News
    Bowie State makes security changes following shooting (NBC Washington)
    nbcwashington.com
Tags
shootinghbcuhomecomingmarylandnon-student-victimscampus-lockdownsecurity-changes
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion