Howard University's graduation ceremony held at the Cramton Auditorium quickly descended into chaos due to capacity issues.
The event was abruptly halted, leaving attendees in a state of fury as they were denied the chance to witness their loved ones' special moments.
The ceremony, scheduled to take place between 6 p.m. and 8pm on May 9, left attendees frustrated.
The auditorium, hosting graduates from the College of Nursing and Allied Health Science , quickly reached its capacity.
Many attendees, eager to see their loved ones walk across the stage, were left locked out of the venue.
However, the situation escalated when some attendees attempted to force their way into the auditorium, chanting, 'Let us in! Let us in!'. Amid the confusion, a window was reportedly broken.
Graduate Bria Flowers shared her experience with NBC, recalling the loud banging on the doors that persisted for about 10 minutes. "Just like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom," she described.
After the incident, the Dean of the Nursing School, Gian Brown, addressed that during the ceremony, attributing the chaos to the room's size and the behavior of the attendees.
However, the fire department clarified that they did not shut down the event but responded to a medical incident at the request of campus police.
He said: “Because of the size of the room and because our relatives sometimes do not know how to act, the fire department is now here to shut us down.”
The event turned into chaos.
Even many attendees were left furious after they locked out the venue when it reached capacity.
Shurland Layne, a father who was denied entry, expressed his disappointment to ABC.
He said: "We traveled so far to come here to stand in the rain, and can’t even get inside. Now you’re going to stand here and say ‘oh, it’s full to capacity.’ That’s not right."
Similarly, single mom Chantell Fletcher, shared her upset at not being able to see her daughter graduate despite her early arrival and hard work.
While, Graduate Bria Flowers recalled the chaotic scene, telling NBC: “While they were doing the keynote speaker, there was, like, loud banging, even before that, for like 10 minutes straight. Just like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.”
In response to the incident, a spokesperson for Howard University issued a statement apologizing for the challenges experienced during the ceremony.
They told ABC7: "The outpouring of support from families and loved ones has been tremendous, resulting in capacity challenges at our campus venues. Along that vein, we apologize wholeheartedly for the challenges experienced during our College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences (CNAHS)
Honors and Awards Ceremony. "The overcrowding at Cramton Auditorium significantly impacted the guest experience. To rectify this, we will formally recognize our College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences graduates at the Capital One Arena tomorrow, May 11, following our Commencement Convocation."
Additionally, the university remains committed to improving future ceremonies to ensure a better experience for all attendees.
After the incident, the university acknowledged the capacity challenges at their campus venues and committed to implementing measures to better manage crowd capacity and enhance the graduation ceremony experience.
The chaos quickly spread on social media and sparked discussion among viewers.
On person said: Shocked that the school doesn't have any limits on the number of relatives allowed to come. Even my daughter's high school limits the number of family members allowed to attend graduation. Of course my daughter had a graduating class of more than 3,000 students, and at 5 family members each they packed the 18,000 seat football stadium to capacity.
A second wrote: No wonder the building was at full capacity, they trying to bring the whole family, this a graduation not a family thanksgiving. Black people living up to the stereotype of being violent when they don't get what they want.
While a third commented: The school could have did a better job but I'm quite sure that they told those parents that there was no more room and they went anyway that makes a big difference
What did you think about this incident?
