WORCESTER, MA – Worcester State University (WSU) has been temporarily shut down following a double shooting incident that occurred in a campus parking garage early Saturday morning. The Massachusetts State Police reported that two individuals were injured in the incident and were subsequently transported to UMass Medical Center for treatment.
The state police initially reported that a suspect had been apprehended, but later clarified that the investigation was ongoing and all facts and circumstances surrounding the incident were still being examined. The shooting, according to the police, occurred during a dispute and was not an active shooter situation. The Worcester County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that neither of the victims were students at the university.
In the wake of the incident, all campus activities, including homecoming and family weekend events, were canceled. A shelter-in-place order was issued early Saturday morning but has since been lifted.
The university had issued an alert at 2:49 a.m. instructing students and staff to seek secure locations within buildings and avoid windows or openings to the outside. The alert was shared on the university’s website and social media platforms.
At 5:15 a.m., the university updated the situation, stating that there was no immediate threat on campus, but the shelter-in-place order was still in effect. The university also requested anyone with information about the incident to contact university staff and police.
Counseling resources have been made available to the university community. The university assured that further details would be provided as they become available.
WSU, located on 58 acres in the northwest side of Worcester, has 10 buildings, including four residence halls, and enrolls about 6,200 students. It was founded as a teacher-training school in 1874 and became a liberal arts and sciences college known as Worcester State College until 2010, when it was designated a university.