COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The University of Maryland, College Park today dedicated a plaza to Lt. Richard Collins III, a Bowie State University student who was stabbed to death while waiting at a College Park bus stop in 2017.
The murder of the 23-year-old black man - a newly-commissioned lieutenant - by a white Severna Park man drew outrage and sparked hate-crime charges. Prosecutors, however, were ultimately unable to get a hate-crime charge through to the jury.
Today we dedicate Lt. Richard Collins III Plaza, gathering alongside activists, community leaders and family and friends of the Collins family to remember Lt. Collins and advance important discussions on social justice and equity for all.
— Univ. of Maryland (@UofMaryland) May 16, 2022
All are welcome: https://t.co/lyz2RZed26 pic.twitter.com/FSSQcTbRB3
University of Maryland said in an article that hundreds attended the dedication of Lt. Richard Collins III Plaza.
Collins' murder had also prompted UMD to launch a Social Justice Alliance with Bowie State University.
The new plaza is near Montgomery and Annapolis halls, "overlooking the bus stop where he was killed," said UMD. It features a fountain, a replica of a student-created Unity Wall mural, and a laser-engraved plaque honoring Collins.
