Homecoming Weekend Shooting; Victim Remain Unclear with Lack of Campus-Wide Communication

Police reported to 70 Bowery Street, less than a mile from Frostburg’s campus, at approximately 2:30 am on October 8th to a victim with gunshot wounds at a party due to an altercation that took a dangerous turn. After over nearly a month, little has been offered by the University regarding the status of the victim and the perpetrator of the assault. Many students were either present at this event or knew the identity of the non-FSU-affiliated victim, and many more are concerned with the possibility of a future act of violence occurring in the vicinity of the campus. This is not the first time the student population has been kept in the dark regarding information from the administration, either: at least three other incidents dating back to 2020 had similar stipulations.

On top of the violence that occurred that weekend, one Frostburg student was hospitalized due to suspected substance abuse and another former student has reportedly passed due to an overdose, according to an Instagram post by Frostburg’s NAACP Chapter.

The last campus-wide update that FSU offered via email was on October 10th, simply stating the incident and reminding students of anonymous police tip lines. In addition, a vague reminder to make “good choices” on the weekends and general information on student resources like CAPS and the SAFE office were provided. 

Concerned with the lackluster response given by the University concerning this matter, the President of NAACP at Frostburg State, Ariyana Ward, contacted Dr. Artie Lee Travis, the Vice President of Student Affairs. In an email response, he wrote that the death of the aforementioned former student from a drug overdose “does not meet the standard protocol for a University-wide announcement.” Since the shooting victim and shooter-at-large from the homecoming weekend incident were both allegedly not affiliated with FSU, it is reasonable to assume that they do not meet these same guidelines. 

The week following the harrowing events off of Bowery Street and the unfortunate news of two former students, many professors across campus canceled classes in awareness of the mental health needs of the students affected by these tragedies. Dr. Angela Luvara of the Sociology Department left classes optional for the week of October 10th, citing: “My top priority is your well-being, so I’d like to lighten your schoolwork load this week as you process your experiences” in an email sent to a class. 

Matthew R., a student in one of Dr. Luvara’s classes, agreed with the idea of giving students a much needed mental break that week. “I believe it was good to cancel class due to the severity of the incident- how close it was to campus and how many people were involved,” he explained. In light of this, it is curious to note the lack of a campus-wide notification from Frostburg’s administration of psychological services and resources available to students. Dr. Travis added, “I believe the strength of our CAPS program over the last two years has clearly made students aware of where to find assistance on campus.” There may be some merit to this statement; however, many students do not find this to be an adequate response.

A voice for the students frustrated by the communication from the university, the NAACP Chapter at Frostburg provided a “Call to Action” on their Instagram page, directly addressing administrative officials. “Despite these events, the university has yet to release a campus-wide email extending condolences as well as informing students of the support services available during times of such tragedy,” the post reads. Furthermore, the organization is requesting university participation in various memorial events pertaining to the tragedy and cooperation in the “creation of clear and consistent policy” that will address similar situations in the future.

Although all of these tragic victims are either former students or non-students at Frostburg State and much of the information regarding their current status is legally protected, a large number of current students had personal relationships and other connections to individuals in their circle. With more transparent communication from Frostburg State leadership and a widely available set of guidelines on the availability of information on matters like this, the student body would have better access to support services and less frustration with the unknown in times of tragedy.