Morgan State University Student Speaks Out After Campus Shooting
BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Samantha Mauril, an 18-year-old freshman at Morgan State University, is speaking out about the terrifying experience she endured when gunfire erupted on campus earlier this week. Mauril, who was among the students caught in the chaos, detailed what happened to her as the traumatic event unfolded.
“I didn’t even realize that I was bleeding until someone told me when we stopped running,” explained Mauril. She was inside the Murphy Fine Arts Center for the homecoming coronation events, standing near the front door, when bullets pierced the windows. The center is located across the street from Thurgood Marshall Hall, where shots were fired, according to the police.
“Everyone was running and we couldn’t see,” Mauril recalled. “All I saw was the glass window shatter. I heard the bullets and it just came down on me. I was like, okay, so now, it was just run. The only thought that I had was run, stay low and run.”
Mauril was wounded when shard glass hit her leg in several places, but she didn’t realize it until later. “I was just in shock. I didn’t want to believe what was happening was real,” she said.
Following the incident, police and staff escorted Mauril and others from the rear of the building to her dorm at Blount Towers, where she waited in a friend’s room. Fear and uncertainty filled the atmosphere as an active shooter situation unfolded.
“We turned off all the lights. We tried to keep quiet as possible. We sat in the farthest corner away from the window and away from the door of the room. We were just praying to God that we could stay safe and everybody outside was safe,” Mauril shared.
The homecoming week, usually filled with excitement and celebration, ended tragically with five people shot, including four students. As of now, there are no identified suspects, but police have released images of “persons of interest.” As a result, this week’s classes have been canceled, and the much-anticipated homecoming festivities are on hold.
“It’s just sad that the innocent have to suffer now for the guilty. So, I hate that our weekend has to end like this,” said Shianka McKay, a grad student.
“It’s like we can’t get a break, we can’t get a break. (But) I understand it was for the right reason, but it’s heartbreaking,” added Jasmine Murray, another disappointed student.
For Mauril, the ordeal is both heartbreaking and frightening. She is currently back home in New Jersey with her family. “I feel a bit disoriented, but I’m also relieved to be home where, I don’t want to say safer, but I’m not where danger was,” she expressed.
After calling her mother, Mauril’s parents decided they wanted her to come home. She was picked up just a few hours after the incident. However, Mauril intends to return to Morgan State University once classes resume.
In the wake of this tragedy, the Morgan State University community is coming together to support one another during this difficult time. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of campus safety and the need for continued efforts to prevent such events from happening in the future.