Subscribe
Follow Us
Howard University’s annual tailgate went from an enjoyable reunion-style day party to a quickly turned dangerous affair. The university’s website describes the event as a “time to recapture the enthusiasm of the past, rekindle our flames of school pride, and reconnect with the stories and memories that make Howard special.”
On Saturday, October 14, alumni and students packed the surrounding streets of the Howard parking lot to squeeze into the tailgate. However, D.C police abruptly shut down the celebration due to overcrowding in the street with one officer telling a source “There are twice the amount of people able to fit capacity outside of the gate, we have to shut it down”. Not only did officers turn off music and grills inside of the parking lot, they used pepper spray in an attempt to control the hundreds of people waiting in line to gain entrance.
Desire to make it into the tailgate was at an all-time high as numerous individuals were captured on video jumping the nearly nine-foot fence. Videos have gone viral of people hopping the fence and nearly getting caught in the structures pointed top. Social media users responded to the clips saying they were “risking it all”.
Howard University as well as the D.C police department have yet to put out an official statement about the events on Saturday afternoon As homecoming celebrations at HBUCs become more dangerous as seen at the shooting that took place at Morgan State University and Bowie State University earlier this month, campus and local police continue to try to make these events as safe as possible for not only students but alumni as well.
