Campus Alert Archive
Towson

A $1,000 Hat and a Self-Inflicted Gunshot: Armed Robbery Gone Wrong in Towson's Glen Tower C

MDshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the evening of April 18, 2024, 19-year-old Gage Flood allegedly attempted to rob students of a designer Celine hat worth $1,000 in the stairwell of Glen Tower C at Towson University. During the struggle, Flood accidentally shot himself in the leg and was arrested within an hour. Neither the suspect nor the victims were Towson students.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
1
Institution
Towson University
Public Masters · MD
~22,000 studentsTU Alert
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 ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction111 chars
TU Alert: Reports of possible shots fired in the Glen Tower C stairwell. Avoid the area. Police are responding.

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

Reconstructed from Towerlight and Fox Baltimore reporting
Towson University Police originally received reports of possible shots fired around 9:15 PM EDT
Students in nearby residence halls reported hearing about the incident around 9:30 PM
UPDATESMS
Approximate reconstruction183 chars
TU Alert Update: One individual sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Glen Tower C. The suspect is in custody. There is no ongoing threat to campus. Police will remain on scene.

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

Reconstructed from Towerlight and CBS Baltimore reporting
Police initially responded as if to a suicide attempt before determining it was an attempted robbery
The arrest was made within approximately one hour of the incident
Context

Background

On the evening of April 18, 2024, Baltimore County and Towson University Police Officers responded to reports of shots fired in Glen Tower C, a residence hall at 150 Cross Campus Drive. Officers initially believed they were responding to a suicide attempt, but the investigation revealed the shooting occurred during an attempted robbery. According to charging documents, 19-year-old Gage Flood of Manchester, MD confronted three individuals in the Tower C stairwell, pointed a black handgun at them, and repeatedly threatened to kill them while attempting to steal a designer Celine hat worth approximately $1,000. During a brief struggle, Flood accidentally shot himself in the leg. Neither Flood nor the victims were students at Towson University. Flood was arrested within approximately one hour and charged with nine counts including armed robbery and first-degree assault. He was held without bond. Towson President Mark Ginsberg sent a campus-wide email the following morning stating an after-action review was underway. Police remained at the scene until approximately 1:30 AM.
Analysis

Key Findings

The shooting was initially misidentified as a possible suicide attempt before investigation revealed it was an armed robbery
Neither the suspect nor the three victims were students at Towson University, raising questions about dorm access security
The suspect shot himself in the leg during the robbery attempt and was arrested within approximately one hour
Outcome
Gage Flood, 19, of Manchester, MD was arrested and held without bond. He was charged with nine counts including armed robbery, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and multiple firearm offenses. Flood sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg. No other injuries were reported. President Mark Ginsberg ordered an after-action review.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    Towson University Glen Tower C shooting over hat robbery, police say (The Towerlight)
    thetowerlight.com
  2. News
    Man shot himself in Towson University dorm while trying to steal designer hat (CBS Baltimore)
    cbsnews.com
  3. News
    Towson University dorm shooting was over $1,000 Celine hat (The Baltimore Banner)
    thebanner.com
  4. Official
    Charges Filed in Towson Incident (Baltimore County Government)
    baltimorecountymd.gov
  5. News
    Towson University students recount panic after gunfire reported inside dorm (Fox Baltimore)
    foxbaltimore.com
Tags
shootingself-inflictedrobberyresidence-hallmarylandnon-student-suspectdesigner-fashionpublic-university
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion