Campus Alert Archive
UMD

Bowie State Senior and Newly Commissioned Army Officer Fatally Stabbed at UMD Bus Stop in Hate Crime

MDstabbingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

In the early hours of May 20, 2017, Bowie State University senior Richard Collins III was fatally stabbed at a bus stop near Montgomery Hall on the University of Maryland campus while waiting for an Uber with friends. The attacker, UMD student Sean Urbanski, was a member of a racist Facebook group called 'Alt-Reich: Nation.' Urbanski was convicted of first-degree murder in December 2019 and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.

Alerts
4
Response
—
Killed
1
Injured
0
Institution
University of Maryland, College Park
Public R1 · MD
~40,500 studentsEverbridgeUMD Alerts
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

4 messages in sequence · 2 verified verbatim

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTmulti-channel
Approximate reconstruction124 chars
UMD ALERT: Cutting incident near Montgomery Hall. Police are on scene. Avoid the area of Regents Drive near Montgomery Hall.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Sent at 3:41 AM EDT on May 20, 2017 — the attack occurred around 3:00 AM EDT at a bus stop near Montgomery Hall on the UMD campus
The Diamondback confirmed the alert described the incident as a 'cutting incident near Montgomery Hall' — NOT a 'stabbing' as originally reconstructed; the reconstruction has been corrected to match the known characterization
An all-clear was issued at 4:08 AM EDT, approximately 27 minutes after the initial alert
The suspect was apprehended at the scene within minutes, sitting on a bench nearby
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction225 chars
UMD ALERT UPDATE: A stabbing occurred early this morning near Montgomery Hall. A suspect is in custody. The victim, a Bowie State University student, has been transported to the hospital. Campus police are increasing patrols.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

UMD President Wallace Loh released a statement and the university increased campus police presence
Collins was a visitor from Bowie State University, not a UMD student
FOLLOW-UPEmail
Verified verbatimUMD President Wallace Loh's same-day community statement, quoted in Inside Higher Ed coverage441 chars
I am writing to all of you today with a heavy heart. This morning, shortly after 3 a.m., a male student from Bowie State University was assaulted with a knife on Regents Drive near Montgomery Hall. He was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries. Words cannot express my deep anguish over this horrific tragedy. My deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim, and to the entire Bowie State community.
Loh issued the statement the same morning as the stabbing — unusually fast presidential engagement reflecting the fatal outcome
Loh identified the victim only as 'a male student from Bowie State University' before family had notified next of kin — Collins's name was released later that afternoon
The statement deliberately framed the death as 'this horrific tragedy' but did not yet characterize it as a hate crime; that designation was added by Prince George's County police the following day after Urbanski's social-media history was reviewed
FOLLOW-UPEmail
Verified verbatimUMD President Wallace Loh's follow-up community statement, May 21, 2017, quoted in Inside Higher Ed coverage405 chars
The horrific assault that took the life of a young man on our campus on Saturday morning has shocked, saddened, and angered our community and beyond. However, increased police security is not sufficient. We must all do more to nurture a climate -- on campus and beyond -- where we stand against hate, we fight against hate crimes and we reaffirm the values that define us a university and as a democracy.
By May 21, 2017, Loh shifted from condolence to explicit hate-crime framing — 'we fight against hate crimes' was the institutional commitment that anchored UMD's later memorial-plaza dedication
The phrase 'increased police security is not sufficient' acknowledged community criticism that adding patrols would not address the underlying climate concern
The trailing line 'as a university and as a democracy' folded the campus response into the post-2016-election national conversation about hate crimes — a register Loh used repeatedly in 2017
Context

Background

On May 20, 2017, just days before commencement ceremonies at both universities, Richard Collins III, a 23-year-old Bowie State University senior and newly commissioned U.S. Army 2nd Lieutenant, was fatally stabbed while waiting for an Uber at a bus stop near Montgomery Hall on the University of Maryland, College Park campus. Around 3:00 AM, while Collins stood with two friends (a white man and an Asian woman), Sean Urbanski, a 22-year-old UMD student, emerged from a nearby wooded area and said, 'Step left, step left if you know what's good for you.' When Collins refused, Urbanski stabbed him in the chest. Collins was transported to Prince George's Hospital Trauma Center, where he was pronounced dead. Urbanski was apprehended sitting on a bench near the scene. Investigators discovered that Urbanski was a member of a Facebook group called 'Alt-Reich: Nation', which contained racist and white supremacist posts, and the FBI investigated the killing as a possible hate crime. In December 2019, a jury convicted Urbanski of first-degree murder, though the judge dismissed the hate crime enhancement, ruling prosecutors had not proven that race was the sole motive. Urbanski was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole in January 2021. The University of Maryland later dedicated a memorial plaza to Collins on campus.
Analysis

Key Findings

The victim was a visiting student from a nearby HBCU, raising questions about how campuses protect visitors as well as enrolled students
The suspect's membership in a white supremacist Facebook group was central to the investigation but ultimately insufficient for a hate crime conviction
The incident occurred just before graduation ceremonies at both universities, compounding the emotional impact on both communities
UMD subsequently dedicated a memorial plaza to Collins on campus and implemented enhanced safety measures
Outcome
Richard Collins III, 23, a newly commissioned Army 2nd Lieutenant and Bowie State University senior, was killed. Sean Urbanski, 22, was arrested at the scene and later convicted of first-degree murder. A hate crime charge was dismissed by the judge, who ruled prosecutors had not proven race was the sole motive. Urbanski was sentenced to life with possibility of parole in January 2021.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Source
    Murder of Richard Collins III (Wikipedia)
    en.wikipedia.org
  2. Student Paper
    A killing on campus: Following the trial for ex-UMD student accused of stabbing Richard Collins (The Diamondback)
    dbknews.com
  3. News
    University of Maryland Fatal Stabbing Investigated by FBI as Possible Hate Crime (NBC News)
    nbcnews.com
  4. News
    Arrest of U of Maryland student in stabbing death of Bowie State student shakes both campuses (Inside Higher Ed)
    insidehighered.com
  5. News
    UMD to start construction on Lt. Richard Collins III memorial (Washington Post)
    washingtonpost.com
  6. News
    Sean Urbanski guilty of first degree murder for killing Lt. Richard Collins at UMD (WMAR-2 News)
    wmar2news.com
Tags
stabbinghate-crimefatalmarylandpublic-r1hbcu-student-victimwhite-supremacistmemorial
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion