November 7, 2023
The incident is yet another occurrence of gun violence impacting HBCUs.
Seven people were wounded during an off-campus event to celebrate homecoming season for Prairie View A&M University. The festivity was held only 2 miles away from the Texas HBCU.
According to NBC News, the Nov. 5 event was a trial ride pasture party, and attended by over 1,000 people. While the party was not a university-sanctioned activity, a spokesperson on behalf of the school did express its sympathy for the victims,
“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.”
The victims, which included a child, are not known to be affiliated with Prairie View A&M, as the investigation into the shooting is still being conducted. However, the incident is part of a concerning trend of gun violence at HBCUs across the nation. The university is not alone in shooting casting a dark shadow over its homecoming, as Morgan State University cancelled their homecoming set for early October in the aftermath of a mass shooting on school grounds.
Waller County police arrived to the scene shortly after gunfire sparked, impacting four women and two men as well to the young boy. Those injured were bystanders to a dispute, as law enforcement refer to the ordeal as aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In a statement on the matter, county officials also confirmed that safety protocols were not in place, which could have helped prevent the instance of violence.
“The organizers for this event went through the proper steps in terms of filing an application for a mass gathering permit…. [But] obviously, the organizers failed to meet permit conditions on a number of issues, and an investigation is ongoing at this time,” shared County Judge, Trey Duhon.
In the midst of this growing violence, HBCUs everywhere have increased security measures to ensure students and their extended community remain safe.
