Students walking to the popular Friday night hangouts near 18th and State streets were confronted by something very unusual and frightening — a dead body.

A double shooting that resulted in one death Friday night in daylight just after 7 p.m. occurred near many student residences.

Department of Public Safety officers were first to arrive on the scene and attempted to help the victims before Milwaukee police and rescuers arrived on the scene.

No information on the suspects has been released by investigators as of press time.

Many students may not know of this incident because no university alert or e-mail was sent regarding the incident. This is because the homicide occurred less than half a block outside of DPS’s normal patrol area, even though it was close enough for public safety officers to respond and for students walking by to see the grisly aftermath.

Student eye witnesses said they heard what they thought were firecrackers before repeated bangs convinced them they were hearing gunshots less than a block from their houses and apartments. Students passing by told the Tribune they saw a body lying still on the ground outside a parked car. Others reported seeing a body carried on a stretcher.

Although the Office of Marketing and Communication told the Tribune they had no obligation to notify students of the shooting because it occurred just outside DPS’s normal boundaries and no persons affiliated with Marquette were believed to be involved, students deserved to be notified of a fatal shooting that happened just off our campus, especially for those who live or visit residences in that area.

We at Marquette pride ourselves on being part of our surrounding community. This is difficult to achieve without notice of what happens in our own backyard.

And a university notice would have helped caution students and answer questions that came up when a violent death occurred along their normal Friday night routes.