What should have been a proud celebration of tradition and togetherness at Lincoln University instead took a tragic turn late Saturday, when gunfire erupted in a campus parking lot during Homecoming weekend. The event, held outside the university’s International Cultural Center just after a football game, ended with one young man dead and six others wounded, leaving the community reeling.
The festivities were underway around 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 when shots rang out amid tents and tables filled with students, alumni, and guests. That tailgate-style gathering quickly turned into chaos as people fled for cover, scattering in every direction. “I thought it was fireworks,” one visitor told reporters, recounting the shock of sudden violence at what had been a joyous moment.
Tragically, 25-year-old Jujuan Jeffers of Wilmington, Delaware, was mortally wounded — shot in the head and pronounced dead shortly after midnight. The six others, all aged between 20 and 25, are hospitalized and expected to survive. Among the injured: one current Lincoln student and one alumnus; the remainder had no formal connection to the university.
Authorities say the incident appears spontaneous rather than a pre-meditated attack on campus. Christopher de Barrena‑Sarobe, District Attorney for Chester County, confirmed one arrest: 21-year-old Zecqueous Morgan‑Thompson from Wilmington, charged with carrying a concealed firearm without a license. It’s still unclear whether his weapon was used in the shooting. Investigators believe there were multiple shooters and have launched an intense probe of the scene.
In the hours that followed, law enforcement from the university police, the state police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation scoured the area, gathered witness statements, and pieced together ballistic evidence. Surveillance footage and cell-phone videos are being reviewed; anyone who was at the scene is being asked to come forward with information or recordings.
The university community is reeling. “We set this out to be a time to celebrate the legacy of Lincoln University… Devastated — if there was another word to describe that, one more impactful, I would use it,” said Marc Partee, Lincoln’s Chief of Police, during a Sunday briefing. To allow for healing, classes will be canceled Monday for a day of reflection, and counseling services have been offered to students, staff and alumni throughout the week.
Governor Josh Shapiro also weighed in, saying his administration will provide full support and urging anyone with information to assist law enforcement. “This weekend should have been spent celebrating the legacy of our nation’s first degree-granting HBCU,” he noted, referencing Lincoln’s historic place in American higher education.
As the investigation continues, the usually spirited campus finds itself in a new reality. The tailgate tents and alumni gathering spots now stand as reminders of how effortlessly celebration can turn to fear. And while one young life has been lost and others are still healing, the community is determined to come together, support one another and find a way forward after a night they’ll never forget.
