A commencement ceremony for nursing college students at Howard College ended abruptly and in chaos after indignant members of the family chanted “Allow us to in!” and pounded on the doorways and smashed a window after being locked out when the auditorium hit capability.
Family members of scholars within the Faculty of Nursing and Allied Well being Sciences packed into the Cramton Auditorium in Washington, DC, on Thursday, however not all kin made it contained in the constructing earlier than the ceremony was abruptly canceled in the course of the keynote tackle.
Chaotic video footage reveals dozens of individuals standing outdoors the auditorium chanting “Allow us to in! Allow us to in!” because the ceremony started. Photos confirmed a glass door had been shattered in the course of the commotion as individuals banged on the doorways and tried to push previous safety to go inside.
“Whereas they had been doing the keynote speaker, there was, like, loud banging, even earlier than that, for like 10 minutes straight,” graduate Bria Flowers instructed NBC Washington. “Similar to growth, growth, growth, growth, growth.”
College officers instructed college students and their households mid-ceremony that the hearth division had come to close issues down.
“Due to the scale of the room and since our kin typically have no idea learn how to act, the hearth division is now right here to close us down,” Dr. Gina S. Brown, dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Allied Well being Sciences, stated to a roaring response of boos.
Nevertheless, D.C. Fireplace and EMS denied shutting down the commencement.
“D.C. Fireplace and EMS didn’t shut down tonight’s occasion,” the division stated. “At 6:42 p.m., we responded to the Cramton Auditorium for a medical native on the request of campus police. The affected person was evaluated and refused transport, and D.C. Fireplace and EMS departed.”
College students and their households had been left shocked and upset by how shortly issues bought out of hand.
“I’m confused why it bought so loopy, the way it bought so fast, so unhealthy so quick,” graduate Kiana Hamilton stated.
Fellow graduate Halle Ragoonanan stated the incident was particularly heartbreaking for her and her household as a result of she didn’t get to stroll throughout her highschool commencement in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I didn’t even get to stroll,” she stated. “I didn’t get to stroll. I graduated magna cum laude and I didn’t even get to stroll. I’m the category of 2020. I didn’t get to stroll for my highschool commencement and I didn’t get to stroll for my school commencement.”
Different graduates lamented over how a lot cash their households had spent to be there for his or her special occasion only for it to be canceled.
“All the cash we spent,” an unnamed pupil instructed the station. “My father and grandmother got here down from North Carolina.”
Howard stated safety eliminated somebody from the constructing earlier than the ceremony who returned and smashed the glass door outdoors the auditorium.
One pupil was discovered with cuts on their palms from the damaged glass.
“This incident led to a disturbance amongst visitors outdoors of the power, leading to a disruption of this system,” Howard’s assertion stated. “Company in attendance had been instantly dispersed following this incident.”
A few of the affected college students had been in a position to stroll within the college’s major graduation ceremony on Saturday, whereas particular person awards got out to college students on Friday.
