A quiet Thursday night at Towson University turned violent when a shooting in a Tower C dorm stairwell left a student wounded and sent police racing to the Glen Complex, according to university officials.
The victim was shot in the lower body and taken to a nearby hospital, where the injuries were described as non-life-threatening, officials said.
Towson University Police were called at around 9:15 p.m. for reports of shots fired in the Tower C stairwell, university spokesperson Sean J. Welsh said in an email, according to The Baltimore Banner. The outlet reported that students were urged to steer clear of the building while police locked down the scene and started their investigation.
Where It Happened
The shooting took place inside the stairwell of Tower C, one of the residence halls in the Glen Complex at the heart of Towson’s campus. According to Towson University’s annual safety report, Glen Tower C is located at 156 Cross Campus Drive and consists of multi-floor residence halls, with stairwells that link students across multiple levels of the building.
Investigation And Campus Response
Both Towson University Police and the Baltimore County Police Department responded to the scene and began interviewing people they believed may be connected to the shooting, according to The Baltimore Banner.
The Banner reported that the victim was transported to a nearby hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. Officials also used university social media channels to tell students and staff to avoid Tower C while officers worked the scene and gathered evidence.
Legal Background
The timing of the incident adds another layer of scrutiny to campus safety at Towson. The shooting comes as attention remains on a separate 2021 campus shooting and a related lawsuit that has made its way to Maryland’s highest court.
The Maryland Supreme Court recently heard arguments over whether a student who was injured at an unsanctioned party can sue Towson University for negligence. Coverage by WBAL-TV details the earlier shooting and the legal debate over how far the university’s duty of care extends when violence happens in or around campus life.
What Students Should Know
In the wake of the Tower C shooting, Towson University officials urged students to keep an eye on official university channels for updates and to reach out if they know anything that could help investigators.
The university’s police page lists the campus emergency line as 410-704-4444 and the non-emergency line as 410-704-2134 for those on or around campus, according to Towson University Police. Anyone with information is asked to contact law enforcement using those standard department numbers so investigators can piece together what happened in that Tower C stairwell.
