Trial date set for one of two suspects charged in 2023 mass shooting at Morgan State University

A trial date has been set for one of two suspects accused in a 2023 mass shooting during homecoming celebrations at Morgan State University that left five people injured.

Marquis Brown, 19, of Washington, D.C., is scheduled to stand trial Oct. 7. He was arrested in Oct. 2023 and charged with multiple counts of attempted murder. 

Brown was 17 at the time of his arrest and has remained in custody since, according to Baltimore District Public Defender Marguerite Lanaux.

Prosecutors dropped the charges against Brown Monday because a key witness was not available, but immediately refiled the charges, according to The Baltimore Banner.

The second suspect, Jovan Terrell Williams, 20, was arrested and charged in Nov. 2023 in connection to the shooting.

2023 Morgan State homecoming shooting

On the night of Oct. 3, 2023, at about 9:25 p.m., gunshots were fired near the Thurgood Marshall Apartment Complex dorms as students gathered to celebrate homecoming. 

Five people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Baltimore police. Four of the victims were students at Morgan State.

Police said two groups were involved in the shooting.

The shooting followed Homecoming Coronation, which set off a series of cancellations and postponements of other events that week while law enforcement worked to identify the shooters. 

In response, Morgan State said it was ramping up its campus security protocols. During a town hall, university President David Wilson announced a proposal to enhance safety measures. 

Plans included extending the campus security wall by nearly 8,000 linear feet, enclosing about 90% of the campus, and installing metal detectors. 

The proposed improvements are estimated to cost $22.2 million.

The university also installed a manned security booth near the Thurgood Marshall Dining Hall, and both city and campus police presence were increased.