Sean Christopher Urbanski, a 22-year-old student at the University of Maryland is being investigated by the FBI, following the fatal stabbing and killing of Richard Collins III, 23, a Bowie State student who was visiting the UMD campus Saturday. Urbanski has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and first-degree assault, University of Maryland Police Department (UMPD) said in a press release Sunday.

According to police records, Collins was attacked by Urbanski with a knife at 3.05 a.m. EDT on Regents Drive near Montgomery Hall. Witnesses said Urbanski walked up to the Collins and his friends, and threatened him to “step left, step left if you know what’s best for you.” After a puzzled Collins refused to do so, Urbanski stabbed him with a knife.

“Officers immediately responded to the area and located the male victim on the sidewalk suffering from serious injuries,” the police press release said. “Officers provided medical assistance until paramedics arrived. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.”

Although Urbanski fled the scene, he was soon located by the Prince George’s County Police not far from the scene. The weapon involved in the murder was a short 3-4 inch silver blade that was found in Urbanski’s front right pocket.

Despite the fact that the suspect is a white male and the victim is African-American, UMPD Chief David Mitchell told the Washington Post the attack did not seem to be racially motivated. The police also added that the suspect had been intoxicated at the time of the attack.

However, this was before information surfaced that Urbanski was a member of a Facebook Group called “Alt-Reich: Nation,” a page which focuses on posting racist and offensive memes.

"When I look at the information that's contained on that website, suffice it to say that it's despicable, it shows extreme bias against women, Latinos, persons of Jewish faith and especially African-Americans, which brings up questions as to the motive in this case. Knowing that we will continue to look for digital evidence, among other items of evidentiary value," Mitchell said later, the Baltimore Sun reported.

FBI has since taken over the investigation to determine if the killing was a hate crime. The suspect has not mentioned a motive behind his crime. It has also been established that there had been no prior relation or contact between the suspect and the victim before the encounter.

Less than a week ago, Collins was commissioned as an officer in the army after four years in the ROTC program. After his upcoming graduation (May 25), he would have started working in the army’s intelligence division, according to the Baltimore Sun report.

The crime occurred hours before the UMD students and faculty were headed to celebrate the commencement ceremony, scheduled for Sunday. Authorities from both UMD and Bowie State expressed sadness at the loss.

See posts, photos and more on Facebook.

“On behalf of our entire community, I want to express our profound sorrow and anguish, for this horrific tragedy,” University of Maryland President Wallace D. Loh said. “We are still in shock that a young man, so full of promise, should have his life cut short, so suddenly. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, and with the entire Bowie State University community."

“Hate has no place in America. Hate has no place on a college campus where young minds are coming together to try to change the world. They can’t change the world if they are not here,” Artie L. Travis, vice president for student affairs at Bowie State, said in a statement. “We are looking forward to the quickest investigation as possible.”

RELATED STORIES
Racism