Some On Edge After Deadly Shooting Near UMB Campus
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A quadruple shooting just steps from a Baltimore college campus. It's not the first violent incident near the University of Maryland Baltimore this year.
Meghan McCorkell spoke with staff members who are on edge.
While the shooting did not happen on campus, some say it was too close for comfort.
Balloons line the road along West Fayette Street, where three people were killed in a quadruple shooting Tuesday night.
"You can't live in your own neighborhood without people getting shot. It's crazy," said Shakaira Jones.
The shooting happened just steps from the University of Maryland Baltimore BioPark campus.
While no one from the university was involved, the violence has some staff on edge.
"It could happen to anybody. It could be me. It's scary," said Diana Magliaro, who works nearby.
Just five days before the murders, there was another shooting in that same area just off campus. That time, a gunman shot into a moving car.
The university does have its own police force, with 56 sworn officers and 78 security officers.
Last year, campus police say crime fell nearly 30 percent at UMB, but they did see a spike in violent crime.
Twelve robberies and eight aggravated assaults were reported. UMB officers made 66 campus arrests.
Now, with the recent spike in violence nearby, WJZ found stepped up university police patrols on the western side of campus.
"When I first started working here, they weren't as much. But, in recent years, they've been here more. So it just makes me feel a lot better," said Shaikh Iqbal, staff member.
Meantime, Baltimore City police are still trying to hunt down the gunmen responsible for Tuesday night's shooting.
In a statement, UMB says what's being done to keep students and staff safe.
"The University of Maryland, Baltimore is committed to the safety of everyone on our campus. UMB Police have taken many measures to improve safety and security on our campus in the past year. We have increased patrols and added safe escort programs, including one in operation 24 hours a day. While we are deeply saddened by the violence in West Baltimore earlier this week, no amount of vigilance by our campus police can prevent incidents like this outside of our campus."
Police have identified the three people killed in that shooting Tuesday night. They are 34-year-old Gerald Thompson, 53-year-old Jacqueline Parker and 39-year-old Lamont Randall.
