Two shootings on the campus of Winston-Salem State University during homecoming weekend have left one person dead and three others injured, police in North Carolina said on Sunday.
Assistant Police Chief Jason Swaim of the Winston-Salem Police Department said both shootings took place on Saturday at the historically Black university. He said investigators could not yet determine whether the two incidents were related, describing it as too early in the process to draw any conclusions.
Swaim said the campus is safe and that a lockdown imposed earlier has been lifted. He did not say whether any arrests had been made, and authorities continue to investigate.
"At this point, the investigation is still very early in its preliminary stages," Swaim said at a press conference early Sunday.
Chancellor Bonita J. Brown addressed the violence in a statement released Sunday morning, saying that "this senseless violence" had shaken the campus community. She announced that all remaining homecoming events were canceled.
In place of the canceled festivities, a local church planned to lead a call for prayers in support of the university, Brown said.
The chancellor said additional law enforcement officers would stay on campus while the investigation proceeds, and that counseling services were available to anyone who needed them.
"We also recognize the concern and anxiety these events have created among our students, parents, families and broader community," Brown said. "We take our responsibility for campus safety seriously and remain committed to the well-being of everyone who is part of our university community."
Homecoming weekend is typically one of the busiest times of the year at historically Black colleges and universities, drawing alumni, families and visitors to campus for celebrations. The shootings instead brought a heavy police presence and an abrupt end to the events at Winston-Salem State.
