Howard University holds prayer vigil amid rising violence near campus

WASHINGTON — The Howard University community participated in a prayer vigil Sunday night after another violent incident near campus. In a letter to Howard University students on Sunday, President Wayne A.I. Frederick said campus leaders are working with D.C. Police to create a safe and welcoming environment.

Frederick said the latest incident of "unruly behavior" occurred near the Howard Plaza Towers residence halls on Saturday. It comes as Howard University leaders work to improve safety for students because of other violent incidents a week before. 

"Similar to the disturbing conduct from last weekend, the participants appear to be juveniles who, per our communication with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and District of Columbia government, have been engaging in disorderly conduct across the city this summer," Frederick said in the letter.

Last week, a fight near campus left several people hurt. The school continues to investigate not only that fight but security's response to it. 

WUSA9 spoke with one victim of that fight, who has asked us not to share his name. He said the security guard did nothing as he and his friends were attacked completely unprovoked. 

“They basically watched my friend’s lifeless body on the ground and didn’t do anything about it,” the victim claimed. 

He said he understands little could be done when trying to stop a mob but questioned why the guard didn't call for backup. 

“They just started beating on us, beating on us,” he explained.

In the Aug. 20 letter to students, Frederick pointed out that D.C. will launch a youth curfew pilot program beginning Sept. 1. He also said that the university itself is implementing new safety measures, including increased security personnel, creating a safety corridor in well-traveled areas on campus and installing 1,000 new cameras on campus in the coming months. 

Frederick once again blamed the violence on young people, and said D.C. Police and the mayor's administration are prioritizing the issue. 

"Let me be clear – in no way do we believe that these recent incidents represent all of Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, this small group of young people are conducting themselves in such a way that they are adding to a negative narrative that we do not want people to have of the community surrounding our campus or the entire city, which we know to be a treasure of our nation," Frederick wrote. 

In response to the violence, Howard will reconstitute the Campus Safety Council this week. Rev. Bernard L. Richardson, PhD, dean of the Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel, and the chapel staff held a prayer vigil in front of the Plaza Towers to pray for the campus community and encourage peace across the campus and the city.