One man is dead, and six others were wounded after gunfire erupted early Sunday morning on the campus of Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina.
The small historically black university was celebrating its annual “Viking Fest” when the shooting happened, according to reports. It was the last day of the weeklong celebration at the school when the shooting occurred around 12:30 a.m. A 24-year-old man was killed and six others were wounded.
Three of the wounded were university students, according to reports. The deceased victim was not a student at the university. Law enforcement agencies were investigating the shooting on Sunday, and the school instituted a campus lockdown due to the shooting that lasted most of Sunday before being lifted.
Elizabeth City State University issued a press release on Sunday about the shooting.
“The incident took place following Yard Fest, part of the Viking Fest events held in the quad area,” read the university’s release. “Six individuals were injured during the incident. Four sustained gunshot wounds, including three ECSU students. Additionally, two other ECSU students were injured during the subsequent commotion. Fortunately, none of the injuries are considered life-threatening, and all the injured were transported to a local hospital for treatment.”
“A 24-year-old man, who was not an ECSU student, was pronounced deceased,” the release noted. “His identity is being withheld pending notification of his next of kin.”
Several students described what happened as the shooting occurred.
“We were just having fun,” one student told a local media outlet. “They were playing music, everybody was dancing. And then a short moment after that, there were pops happening, and everybody started running in the same direction.”
“I heard the gunshots through my window and through the walls,” student Mark Hurlbut said to WITN. “Campus honestly didn’t send out any alerts of any kind until maybe 20-30 minutes after it happened. I didn’t think nothing of it, but then it finally clicked. This happened right outside my door.”
Elizabeth City State University is a small college located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, about 50 miles south of Norfolk, Virginia, according to reports. There are approximately 2,500 students enrolled at the college, and it is part of the University of North Carolina system.
“ECSU extends its deepest sympathies to all those affected by this tragic event and remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of the Viking community,” the university said.