By Maxine Friedman
Seven people were shot and injured during a party on Saturday, Oct. 31 at The Hotel in College Park, Maryland by two unidentified men, Prince George’s County Police said.
According to an update sent out by PGPD on Sunday, Nov. 1, PGPD officers responded to a 911 call at approximately 11:05 p.m. about a shooting at a hotel in the 7700 block of Baltimore Ave. in College Park.
Those involved in the incident are adults who are not affiliated with the University of Maryland, officials say.
The seven victims were transferred to a local hospital but sustained non life-threatening injuries, according to Cpl. Nicholas Clayton, a PGPD spokesperson. Five of the victims were released from the hospital by the next day. As of Nov.1, PGPD had not given any update about the release of the two others.
“This news is unsettling, and we are working with law enforcement to confirm news reports that all injuries are not life-threatening,” University of Maryland President Dr. Daryll J. Pines wrote on Twitter Nov. 1.
At 11:53 p.m. the night of the shooting, University of Maryland’s police department sent out a community notice warning students of an off-campus shooting.
The alert originally stated that there was one shooter described as a black male in possession of a handgun wearing a black puffy jacket and black shoulder bag, which had “super drive” written on its side.
Images from surveillance footage released by PGPD detectives on Sunday showed that there were two men involved.
After hearing about the incident via UMPD alerts, many students say they were scared to leave their buildings.
“I don’t think it ruined my Halloween, but it definitely had a very negative impact on my night and what was going through my head,” Rachel Stulberger, a sophomore education major at UMD, said.
Some students said that learning of the shooting left them in a panic. Not only were they worried about their own safety, but they were also worried about the safety of others – especially those who were nearby the scene of the shooting.
Rachel Lustig, a sophomore finance major at UMD, explained that she contacted her friend who lived in The Hotel, due to COVID-19 forcing many freshmen out of the dorms, to make sure she was okay.
“I assumed she was out, so I just wanted to reach out to her to make sure she knew what happened and told her not to go back,” Lustig said. “I was happy to hear back but she didn’t really know what was going on either and The Hotel wasn’t telling them much. So not super, super relieved. But I was just giving her advice,” Lustig said.
Students were forced to wait for more information from UMPD about the incident until the next day.
“I think UMD did a much better job at warning students about this than they have done with situations in the past, but they could have done a better job following up on it,” Stulberger said.
On Nov. 1, at 2:07 p.m., UMPD’s Chief of Police, David B. Mitchell, sent out a message addressing the shooting that had happened the night prior. The message stated that both departments responded to the incident on Oct. 31st. UMPD assisted PGPD with scene security and traffic control and provided first aid to one of the seven victims.
UMPD and PGPD are still looking for the perpetrators and investigating the motive for the incident.
“The safety of the University of Maryland and our surrounding community remains our highest priority,” Mitchell said in the message.
Anyone with information critical to this case is asked by PGPD to call 301-699-2601. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS, or go online at www.pgcrimesolvers.com.
UMPD also encourages students to contact the police if they observe suspicious activity or behavior by calling 301-405-3333, or by dialing #3333 from a mobile phone.
Along with the blue light service, the University of Maryland Police Department offers a walking escort service for any student who feels unsafe when walking on or near campus. If a student would like to request one they may do so at 301-405-3555.
Featured image: Seven people were shot at The Hotel in College Park, Maryland on Halloween night.
Photo Courtesy of Nicole O’Neill