One Dead, One Injured in Shooting at Worcester State University
WORCESTER – Tragedy struck the campus of Worcester State University early Saturday morning when two individuals were shot, resulting in one death, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr.
During a press conference held later in the morning, Early revealed that the parties involved in the shooting were believed to have known each other. He expressed that the incident did not appear to be a random act of violence, stating, “The parties that were involved knew each other from what we could ascertain at this point.” However, Early did not disclose the identity of the deceased victim.
The shooting took place around 2:30 a.m. and neither the victims nor the suspected assailants were students of Worcester State University, Early confirmed. University police received reports of an ongoing fight and subsequently discovered two individuals with gunshot wounds.
Interim Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier informed the press that an arrest was made after a person was seen leaving the scene. Authorities recovered a firearm, and the individual now faces charges of trespassing and possession of a firearm. However, it remains unclear whether this person is a suspect in the shooting. Early stated that persons of interest captured on video have been identified.
On the other hand, a spokesperson for the district attorney announced around 9:20 a.m. that the shelter-in-place order, which had been implemented shortly after the incident, was being lifted. Nevertheless, people were urged to steer clear of the area under investigation by the police.
Worcester State University Chief Jason Kapurch assured the public that the campus appeared to be secure by late Saturday morning. The university decided to close on Saturday, canceling all campus events, including those associated with homecoming weekend and sporting events.
The state police crime scene unit joined the investigation at the campus, and further inquiries were redirected to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, according to the university.
Councilor Etel Haxhiaj, representing District 5, took to social media to confirm that there was no immediate threat to the neighborhood. Meanwhile, any individuals with videos or images from the incident in the parking lot were urged to report them to university staff and the police.
Early emphasized the importance of public assistance in their investigations, stating, “I can’t stress how important it is that the public gives us assistance on this. This really helps us with our investigations and has helped with many investigations in the past.”
In response to the incident, Worcester State University announced that counseling services would be available on Saturday. The Wellness Center was also made accessible for family or friends of affected students to pick them up.
Unfortunately, the shooting forced the cancellation of homecoming weekend activities, as well as field hockey and football games scheduled for Saturday.
As of late Saturday morning, the campus appeared quiet as individuals went about their day, seemingly undeterred by the incident. Police were stationed at both entrances of the university, greeting drivers as they arrived to park their cars.
Freshmen Alyssa Felix and Janneli Soto expressed their unease about being on campus for the weekend after receiving concerned messages from family and friends regarding the shooting. Disappointed by the cancellation of homecoming weekend, they decided to return home for the time being.
Authorities are still investigating the incident. This is a developing story and further updates can be found on telegram.com.