Kentucky Teacher Shot and Killed on Catholic University Campus
A 25-year-old teacher from Kentucky was shot and killed on Catholic University’s campus in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning. Maxwell Emerson, known as Max, was in the city to attend a professional development workshop for teachers at the Library of Congress.
Max’s mother, Chandra Emerson, revealed that she, Max, and his twin brother had traveled to D.C. earlier in the week to celebrate the Fourth of July before the workshop began. All three were staying at Trinity Washington University in Northeast D.C.
On the morning of the incident, Max left the university to walk to a nearby Metro station to head to the workshop. Shortly after, Chandra received a distressing message from him. The message stated, “Help. I’m being robbed at gunpoint.” Alarmed, she immediately went to the Metro station with her other son and informed the Metro police about the situation. Detectives later informed them that Max had been shot and killed on Catholic University’s campus.
Chandra Emerson expressed her shock and despair, stating, “My other son, his twin brother, was with me, and we held each other and cried and just kept saying that we have to go on and we have to be as Max would want us to be, which his thing was ‘Champions find a way,’ and that’s what we’re doing.”
Max Emerson was found shot in front of Father O’Connell Hall at around 8:20 a.m. According to D.C. police, surveillance video captured two men walking onto the campus from Michigan Avenue NE before one of them shot Max and fled from the scene. Initially, investigators believed that the two men were acquainted, but Max’s family refuted this claim, stating that he did not know the shooter and that they were unfamiliar with anyone in D.C.
Max, a social studies teacher and assistant wrestling coach at Oldham County High School in La Grange, Kentucky, had been awarded a grant to attend the three-day workshop at the Library of Congress. Described as a go-getter and a strong Christian, Max was known for his dedication to teaching and his care for students.
The Emerson family had visited D.C. on numerous occasions and had previously stayed at Trinity Washington University. The night before the incident, they had watched the Fourth of July fireworks show on the National Mall, an experience that deeply moved Max.
Police confirmed that neither the suspect nor Max had any affiliation with Catholic University. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and further updates will be provided as the story develops.