WORCESTER – A fatal shooting occurred on the campus of Worcester State University early Saturday morning, resulting in the death of one person and injury of another. Following the incident, students were instructed to shelter-in-place. The shooting took place at approximately 2:30 a.m. near a campus parking garage.
“Neither the victims nor the suspected assailants are students of Worcester State University,” stated the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.
According to the authorities, the shooting was a result of a fight and not an active shooter situation. The two victims were transported to UMass Medical Center, where one of them succumbed to their injuries. The identities of the victims have not yet been disclosed.
“This does not seem to be a random incident,” said Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early during a press conference on Saturday. “Based on our current findings, it appears that the parties involved were acquainted with each other.”
Police have arrested an individual near the scene on charges of trespassing and possession of a firearm. However, it has not been confirmed whether this person is a suspect in the shooting. District Attorney Early mentioned that the individual did leave the site of the incident after it occurred.
The shelter-in-place order was lifted a little before 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, allowing students to leave their residence halls. However, they are advised to avoid the area where the police investigation is ongoing. The Wasylean parking lot will remain closed until further notice.
WSU Alert 10/28/2023 7:30am: WSU will be closed Saturday, October 28th due to an ongoing incident. ALL University events, on and off-campus, are cancelled.
— Worcester State (@WorcesterState) October 28, 2023
All weekend activities, including homecoming and family weekend, have been canceled by the school. The university is offering counseling services to students in need.
Students expressed their shock at the shooting incident on campus but praised the university’s response to the emergency. “I was just in shock. I could not process that,” said Marcus Oliver. Issac Tyson, a student at Worcester State University, witnessed the fight in the parking lot and heard the gunshots. Despite the incident, he still feels safe at school and mentioned, “We’re probably not going to leave the dorms ourselves.”
Other students stated that they would likely head home for the weekend, considering the shooting and the cancellation of events. “It’s definitely something that would make you want to go home,” said freshman Alyssa Felix.
“You don’t want that to happen at all, but especially where you go to school and where it’s supposed to be safe,” added freshman Janneli Soto.
Police are requesting anyone with photos or videos of the Wasylean parking lot and Sheehan Hall to contact them.
