(OSV News) ─ The
apparent murder of a beloved, young high school teacher July 5 on the campus of
The Catholic University of America in Washington was "not a random
incident" and poses "no present danger" to the university community,
according to police and university officials.
The victim was identified as 25-year-old Maxwell Emerson, a social studies
teacher and wrestling coach from Crestwood, Kentucky.
Prior
to identification, an official with the Metropolitan Police Department for the
District of Columbia told OSV News a man was found shot
July 5 at 8:22 a.m. near 600 Alumni Lane on the campus of Catholic University,
and the police department's violent crime branch was called to the scene.
According to a July 5 statement issued by university president Peter
Kilpatrick, Emerson and the not-yet identified suspect walked onto the
southeastern part of the campus around 8 a.m., then got into an altercation,
during which Emerson was shot in front of the school's Father O'Connell Hall.
The suspect then fled.
Despite the intervention of first responders, Emerson later died at a local hospital.
Preliminary
information indicated Emerson was likely "not associated with the
campus," Daniel Drummond, the university's associate vice president for
communications, told OSV News July 5. He said the school
was "never placed on lockdown," and classes and activities proceeded
as usual.
In a statement released the morning of July 5, the university said police
believed both the suspect and victim "knew each other."
"We ask that you pray for the victim who died and law enforcement who are
determining what occurred," said the university in its statement.
On July 6, the university held a brief prayer service in front of Father O'Connell Hall. On the day of the attack itself, Emerson was remembered at a noontime campus Mass.
The
university also offered counseling resources and security precautions, noting
in its updated July 5 statement that the school offers "a safe campus, but
we are not immune from the impacts of violence."
Emerson was "loved by students and respected by his peers," said the
Oldham County, Kentucky, school district that employed Emerson, in a July 6
statement. "Max was a young teacher, but he made it his goal to form
lasting relationships with his students in order to foster a life-long love of
learning. He had a passion for creating exciting, creative and rigorous lessons
to keep students engaged."
Police
have not yet announced the arrest of a suspect. Maxwell was one of five people
killed in the nation's capital from the afternoon of July 4 to the morning of
July 5.
During the overnight hours, nine people celebrating the July 4 Independence Day
holiday were also shot and wounded in Washington's Deanwood neighborhood. Those
victims, all of whom survived, included a 9-year-old and a 17-year-old.
- - -
Gina Christian is a national reporter for OSV News. Follow
her on Twitter at @GinaJesseReina.
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