Homecoming is a sacred time for alumni and college students, especially at HBCUs. It’s a time for Black people to showcase their love for their university and their Black pride. It’s truly the best of both worlds. But lately, for some HBCUs, it’s been the target of violence.
Last month, five people were shot during a homecoming event at Morgan State University. Days later at Bowie State University, an HBCU down the road, two more people were shot during homecoming weekend. Now, Prairie View A&M University has unfortunately been the latest institution added to the list.
According to NBC News, seven people were shot at an off-campus homecoming party that is less than two miles away from the school’s campus (which is 60 miles northwest of Houston). Among the seven victims shot, one of them was a child, two were men and four were women.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the university said, “Although this was not an official PVAMU homecoming event and was unaffiliated with the university, our campus community is deeply concerned for those injured and all affected by this incident.”
Per the statement from the Waller County Sheriff’s Office, officers were called to the shooting late Sunday night and discovered the bodies of the seven victims who sustained wounds from gunfire. Thankfully, none of them had life-threatening injuries.
While authorities are investigating the shooter in this incident, the organizers are also being investigated after they allegedly “failed to meet permit conditions” when it came to the event.
On Monday, Waller County Judge Trey Duhon shared in a statement on Facebook that organizers went through the proper channels to get a mass gathering permit, but that they failed to meet the conditions that were agreed upon.
Judge Duhon wrote, “There were a number of conditions placed on the granting of the permit, including but not limited to, security requirements (35 security personnel, over 1/2 of which had to be licensed peace officers and the other half licensed security officers - although event organizers said that they were going to have 25 licensed peace officers at a minimum). All attendees were to be searched and wanded for weapons as they entered the event. Organizers were also required to comply with the Fire Marshal’s Report in regards to safety plan, fire inspection, and emergency stations and personnel. There were also liability insurance requirements as well.”
He later continued, “Obviously the organizers failed to meet permit conditions on a number of issues, and an investigation is ongoing at this time, not only into the shooting itself, but the circumstances surrounding the event, the parking situation on public roads, the trash and litter, and the permit requirements that were not met.”