College campuses fear outsiders ‘hell-bent on creating havoc’ in surge of violence targeting students: expert

A startling emergence successful convulsive attacks and threats against historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) passim the state is raising concerns among students, administrators and experts, arsenic aggregate shootings and fake threats person been reported crossed campuses.

Last month, gunshots rang retired successful the areas surrounding 2 HBCUs, leaving administrators scrambling arsenic schools attempted to ramp up information successful the aftermath of the violence.

On Oct. 24, arsenic Howard University was hosting its yearly homecoming event, 1 woman, 3 men and a teenage lad were changeable conscionable steps from the field successful Washington, D.C. Although nary of the victims were students, 1 idiosyncratic was reportedly enrolled astatine Maryland’s Morgan State.

Police arrested 2 19-year-old suspects and recovered 3 guns successful transportation with the shooting, according to FOX 5. However, authorities person since said that much individuals whitethorn person been involved.

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Five radical were reportedly injured successful a shooting adjacent Howard University's homecoming lawsuit successful Washington, D.C., past month. (iStock)

Over the aforesaid weekend, 1 idiosyncratic was killed and six were injured by gunfire astatine Lincoln University successful Pennsylvania, according to authorities. One fishy was subsequently taken into custody successful transportation with the shooting.

"The bittersweet commentary is, successful these communities, you're uncovering that determination are individuals who are equipped and besides bask diversion events," transgression and civilian proceedings lawyer Ted Williams, a erstwhile constabulary serviceman successful the capital, told Fox News Digital. "They are equipped with guns and determine to be these diversion events, and they besides bring their guns with them."

Additionally, a shooting astatine South Carolina State University’s homecoming killed a 19-year-old visitant and injured different attendee, according to Inside Higher Ed. The shooter was reportedly not a pupil astatine the university.

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A shooting occurred astatine Hugine Suites, a pupil residency hallway connected South Carolina State University's field successful Orangeburg, S.C., connected Oct. 4, 2025. (Google Maps)

Another incidental involving 3 individuals being arrested astatine Southern University and A&M College successful Louisiana's homecoming aft they were allegedly caught carrying guns connected campus, the outlet reported. One idiosyncratic reportedly fired a weapon, though nary 1 was injured.

"These are individuals who are extracurricular of the assemblage assemblage itself, [and] are creating problems and havoc for individuals who conscionable privation to spell to 1 of these diversion events that are occurring connected a HBCU field without being shot," Williams said. "It's precise puzzling."

Two further HBCUs – Jackson State University and Alcorn State University – besides reportedly saw shootings interruption retired astatine their homecoming events, with 1 idiosyncratic being fatally changeable astatine Alcorn State.

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A juvenile was changeable astatine Jackson State University connected Oct. 11, 2025. (iStock)

"No 1 should person to unrecorded this way, but we bash person thugs retired present who be these HBCU events and they’re hell-bent connected creating havoc," Williams said.

In summation to the assorted homecoming shootings connected HBCU campuses, respective schools person fallen unfortunate to swatting hoaxes aiming to foster disorder and chaos among the community.

Swatting is the enactment of falsely reporting an exigency – specified arsenic a weaponry menace oregon schoolhouse shooting – successful an effort to punctual a ample instrumentality enforcement response.

According to a UNCF study, HBCUs disproportionately person much threats than different institutions passim the country. Over the past 3 years, HBCUs received 76 threats, yet impacting 51 of the 101 institutions and halting field operations portion officials looked to place the chartless threat.

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In airy of the uptick successful threats and seemingly random acts of unit connected HBCU campuses, galore schools person opted to summation information successful an effort to support students safe.

Since 2022, galore campuses person added caller information features – specified arsenic installing much cameras connected field and hiring further constabulary officers – portion besides moving to fortify their relationships with national and section instrumentality enforcement, according to Inside Higher Ed.

The moves tin assistance officials support way of who is coming connected and disconnected field arsenic the immense bulk of instances impact perpetrators who are unaffiliated with the school.

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"The lone deterrence that’s going to beryllium acceptable is for HBCU instrumentality enforcement to wed up with section instrumentality enforcement officers and effort to bring a halt to these kinds of [incidents]," Williams told Fox News Digital.

Williams pointed to schools perchance utilizing magnetometers astatine events, portion employing further instrumentality enforcement to patrol the perimeter of ample gatherings.

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However, the menace to idiosyncratic information portion attending assemblage tin linger successful the backmost of a student’s mind, perchance stoking fearfulness among those who are conscionable trying to gain their education.

"The information that HBCU assemblage students cannot be an lawsuit without fearfulness is harming their acquisition experience," Williams said. "I deliberation that it is devastating to a young assemblage student, oregon their parents and relatives and friends who privation to beryllium capable to spell to these HBCU events and not beryllium killed, shot, maimed oregon injured – and that is not happening close now."

Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.