Dear Colleagues,

I am saddened, as I'm sure are you, by the violence near our campus overnight. As a community, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones.
 
While, thankfully, no one from the University community was involved in last night's violence, when tragedy strikes so close to home, we are all affected by it. Let me assure you that there is no higher priority than the safety of everyone who works and studies here, as well as the thousands who visit our campus every day.

Here are the facts of last night's incident, as we know them. Shortly before 11 p.m., UMB Police responded to reports of a shooting at West Fayette Street at Poppleton Street, a block north of the BioPark. There were four victims, three of whom were killed. Our police believe that the nature of the attack and another recent incident at that location indicate that this was almost certainly not a random attack. And there is no indication at all that any of this activity is connected to the University.

When crimes of violence do occur on or close to campus, we will alert you. Whenever possible, we will tell you if anyone from our community was involved. We don't do this to scare anyone, but to help you make safe decisions. If you feel fearful, our campus police can escort you to or from your car or nearby home. Call them at (410) 706-6882 to arrange an escort.

UMB Police will continue to patrol nearby areas of our campus with the utmost diligence. We have a close relationship with the Baltimore Police Department and are working with them in their investigation. In spite of what can only be described as a frightening incident last night, I believe our campus remains a safe environment. Let's all do our part in keeping UMB safe by remaining alert and reporting any suspicious activity to police.

Sincerely,

Jay A. Perman, MD
President