On Saturday evening, a shooting incident occurred at 8:23 PM on the 600 block of Howard Place, just a short distance from Howard University’s Yard and adjacent to the School of Architecture building. The incident played out against the backdrop of a Homecoming celebration which has drawn thousands to campus since last weekend.
The DC traffic police at the scene were actively investigating not just the shooting, but the other related traffic violations. This criminal inquiry sparked a flurry of street closures across the city. Preliminary information indicates that seven people went to area hospitals for treatment of various injuries from the incident. Of those, four have been confirmed to have succumbed to gunshot wounds.
This shooting is especially shocking because of when it happened—with the university’s joyful, colorful, boisterous Homecoming celebrations about to begin. The celebrations kicked off on Friday evening with a series of events, including a Greek Step Show that drew significant crowds. Plus a dozen more events, which will run all day Saturday and extend into Sunday.
Authorities have not yet released new details about what led up to the shooting, and no suspects are known at this time. The community is still very much on edge while law enforcement investigates the incident.