Students at Howard University are in fear for their safety after a brawl erupted just steps away from residence halls Aug. 13. Several people were injured, and at least one student was stabbed during the chaotic melee, according to NBC Washington.
One victim told the outlet that he was “prepared to die” during the altercation.
“When I was on the ground getting stomped out, I just stopped feeling the pain at one point.”
The Howard student, who wanted to remain anonymous, described the attackers as “a bunch of D.C. locals.”
He also claimed that there were around five to 20 individuals responsible for Sunday’s brutal brawl. “They just started kicking us, punching us,” another victim said. “We were getting jumped.”
Video footage of the attack shows multiple people throwing punches and shoving one another near the Howard Plaza Towers, two residence halls located on the university’s campus. Reps from the HBCU said that the brawl started Sunday night and stretched into Monday morning after a group of 25 to 50 young people, who were leaving Banneker Field, came rushing over to the student housing area. Both victims said they were “jumped” immediately when the young mob arrived.
Unfortunately, one student was stabbed during the attack. Both victims alleged that campus security failed to render aid to the wounded pupil.
“He got stabbed in the back and got like just beat on by like 30 people. It was just him by himself, and security looked at him on the ground, watch his body go limp, and just walked away, didn’t call anybody, didn’t do anything.”
The Metropolitan Police Department has arrested one juvenile who had a handgun during the vicious altercation.
This wasn’t the first act of violence committed on HU’s campus.
Howard University has had several violent incidents occur near and on campus over the last month. On Aug. 12, a group of 50 juveniles gathered at a sandwich shop across the street from Howard, on Georgia Avenue and Barry Place, where a physical altercation broke out. No Howard students were involved in the fight, according to the HBCU’s president Wayne A. I. Frederick.
In July, a construction worker named Rafael Adolfo Gomez was reportedly shot and killed in an attempted robbery on Howard’s campus, calling for more concern for safety measures.
Howard held a Parent and Student Town Hall to address the violence and crime.
On Aug 15, Dr. Anthony Wutoh, Provost & Chief Academic Officer, as well as Howard University Police Chief Marcus Lyles, held a parent and student town hall to address the uptick in crime on campus. With regard to Sunday’s melee, Lyles said that the assailants involved in the attack were part of a notorious “fight club” growing in D.C. “Washington D.C. is having a tough time right now. There are too many guns on the street, t00 many juveniles that are conducting violent crimes,” he added.
Lyles has launched an internal and external investigation into the incident. So far, a Howard University Police Lieutenant was suspended, and a third-party security contractor was removed from campus. To secure safety measures, Howard plans to install more than 1000 cameras across campus. They will also create safety paths for students that will ensure a security officer is within reach at all times.
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