Crime
1 Killed, 6 Injured After Shooting at Lincoln University During Homecoming Tailgate Celebration
UPDATE: Officials have identified the deceased victim as 25-year-old Jujuan Jeffers of Wilmington, Delaware, who suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Authorities confirmed that all six surviving victims—aged between 20 and 25 years old—are expected to recover.
In a Sunday afternoon update, officials named 21-year-old Zecqueous Morgan-Thompson as one of the suspects involved in the shooting. He is currently being held at the Chester County Prison on $25,000 bail, charged with carrying a firearm without a license, according to court documents.
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. — A night of homecoming celebration turned tragic at Pennsylvania’s historic Lincoln University on Saturday, when gunfire erupted during a campus event, leaving one person dead and six others wounded.
The shooting occurred around 9:30 p.m. during a homecoming “tailgate celebration” near the university’s football stadium on the Chester County campus, located approximately 50 miles west of Philadelphia, according to law enforcement officials.
“This is a devastating night in southern Chester County at Lincoln University,” District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said during a Sunday morning press conference. “It was a chaotic scene and people fled in every direction.”
Authorities confirmed that one person was killed and six others suffered gunshot wounds. Several additional attendees were injured while fleeing the scene, though officials did not specify how many.
The deceased victim’s identity has not been released pending notification of family members.
Police detained one individual found in possession of a firearm near the scene. However, as of Sunday morning, no formal charges had been announced.
Investigators said preliminary evidence indicates multiple gunmen may have been involved.
“We’re operating as if this is not an incident where someone came in with the design to inflict mass damage on a college campus,” de Barrena-Sarobe stated. “There is viable evidence of multiple shooters in the parking lot area between the football stadium and the International Cultural Center, where the Lincoln University Police Department is housed.”
Officials emphasized that the attack does not appear to have been premeditated, but rather stemmed from a confrontation that escalated during the large outdoor gathering.
The Chester County District Attorney’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, and Lincoln University Police Department are jointly leading the investigation.
Authorities are urging anyone with information, photos, or videos from the event to come forward to assist investigators.
Founded in 1854 as The Ashmun Institute, Lincoln University is recognized as the nation’s first degree-granting Historically Black College or University (HBCU).
The school counts among its distinguished alumni U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Baseball Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, and Namibian Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa.
At a press briefing, Lincoln University Chief of Police Marc Partee expressed heartbreak over the tragedy.
“This was meant to be a joyous occasion — a time when alumni return to celebrate, reconnect, and give back to their alma mater,” Partee said. “Instead, that joy was interrupted by senseless gunfire. We are deeply concerned for our students, alumni, and guests who had to endure this traumatic experience.”
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro addressed the incident on social media, saying, “I’ve been briefed on the shooting at Lincoln University tonight, and my Administration has offered our full support to President [Brenda] Allen and local law enforcement. Please avoid the area, follow police guidance, and join Lori and me in praying for the Lincoln University community.”
The university was briefly placed on lockdown as a precaution. The order was lifted after officials determined there was no active threat to campus safety.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Lincoln University announced that counseling and support services would be available to students and staff beginning Sunday morning. Earlier that day, the campus had hosted its annual homecoming football game between the Lincoln Lions and the Elizabeth City State Vikings, followed by festivities that drew alumni, students, and visitors from across the region.
“Please join me in praying for the students and faculty of Lincoln University, as well as the brave members of law enforcement on the scene,” wrote Chester County Commissioner Eric Roe on Facebook. “It appears there has been a mass shooting there tonight.”
The investigation into the Lincoln University homecoming shooting remains active.
Anyone with relevant information is urged to contact Chester County Detectives or Lincoln University Police immediately.
Crime
Mustapha Kharbouch Now-Deleted 2024 Manifesto Published in Institute for Palestine Studies Recovered
Brown University has removed multiple online references to student activist Mustapha Kharbouch in the days following a deadly campus shooting, a move that has drawn public attention amid heightened online speculation—despite law enforcement officials confirming that no suspects or persons of interest have been identified in the investigation.
Archived versions of Brown University webpages show that Kharbouch, a first-year student at the time, was previously listed in several university-affiliated roles, including as a student assistant and Cultural Programming Coordinator connected to the Global Brown Center.
His academic interests were described as focusing on International and Public Affairs and Anthropology, with involvement in Middle East–focused academic, cultural, and student programming.
Those pages are no longer accessible, and Kharbouch’s social media accounts have also been deactivated.
A verified buyer from the United States with the name “Mustapha K.” reviewed a 9MM muzzle brake through the Wing Tactical website on December 29th, 2024 — the same caliber used in the Brown shooting.
There are approximately a few hundred people in the entire United States with that first name + last initial combination.
University officials have not issued a public explanation for the removal of the online profiles.
The changes occurred as online speculation intensified in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, with social media users circulating screenshots of archived university pages and past writings associated with Kharbouch.
Among the materials resurfaced by online users was a 2024 essay authored by Kharbouch and published by the Institute for Palestine Studies as part of a special student essay series titled Genocide in Gaza: Student Essays — Brown University Encampment 2024.
The essay, titled “I Hear the Voice of My Ancestors Calling: From the Camps to the Campus,” was published on August 13, 2024, months before the shooting. The piece is a first-person reflective essay examining Palestinian identity, intergenerational memory, student activism, and questions of hope amid displacement, war, and protest.
The article includes poetic excerpts adapted from “Ancestors Song,” a chant popularized during student-led Palestine solidarity actions at Brown University, and documents Kharbouch’s participation in campus organizing efforts, including sit-ins, hunger strikes, rallies, and the Brown Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
The essay situates these experiences within a broader discussion of decolonial thought, feminist theory, and Palestinian history, including reflections on the 1948 Nakba and the author’s family history as a third-generation stateless Palestinian refugee raised in Lebanon.
The content of the essay is ideological, autobiographical, and academic in nature.
There is no reference to violence on campus, nor any indication of intent or planning related to criminal activity.
The Institute for Palestine Studies has not issued any statement suggesting the piece is under review or connected to the shooting.
Despite widespread online conjecture, law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Providence Police, have not named Mustapha Kharbouch as a suspect or person of interest, and have publicly stated that there is no evidence linking him to the shooting.
Investigators have emphasized that the case remains active and that conclusions are being guided strictly by verified evidence.
Authorities have cautioned against drawing inferences from online speculation, warning that unsubstantiated claims can compromise investigations and cause undue harm to individuals not implicated by facts.
Media analysts and campus observers have suggested that Brown University’s decision to remove online references may have been taken as a protective or precautionary measure, particularly as misinformation and harassment proliferated across social media platforms following the attack.
Similar actions have been taken by institutions in other high-profile incidents to limit doxxing, targeted harassment, or the misinterpretation of publicly available biographical information during periods of heightened tension.
Brown University has not confirmed whether the removals were temporary, administrative, or safety-related in nature.
Authorities continue to urge the public to rely on confirmed information released by law enforcement and to avoid amplifying unverified narratives.
As of the most recent update, no arrests have been announced, no individuals have been publicly identified as suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with credible information related to the shooting has been asked to contact investigators directly.