ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WITN) – A shooting leaves one dead and five injured, who were transported to a local medical center early Sunday morning at ECSU, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
SBI and ECSU Police are investigating a shooting that occurred on campus at 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, and they are still present at the scene gathering evidence, according to SBI.
The university was celebrating Viking Fest this weekend on campus. An event called Yardfest began at 8:30 p.m. yesterday.
WITN spoke with a woman who was at the event who said she heard gunfire erupt.
Another student WITN spoke to says she hid under a table as the air of bullets flew past her.
Many other students shared their experiences.
“I heard the gunshots through my window and through the walls,” Mark Hurlbut said. “Campus honestly didn’t send out any alerts of any kind until may 20-30 minutes after it happened. I didn’t think nothing of it, but then it finally clicked. This happened right outside my door.”
Zion Upchurch says that he’s emotional.
“I had left right before all of this transpired, but I had heard the gunshots from my dorm, and then I had got a phone call saying some people had got shot and I was just trying to figure out who did,” he said. “I feel- I’m sad because the person that did pass away doesn’t even go here, so it just doesn’t make sense.
In a Facebook post, they shared, “The university is deeply saddened by this senseless act. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all members of the Viking community affected by this tragedy.”
Elizabeth City Police, Pasquotank County Sherriff’s Office, and Camden County Sherriff’s Office are also investigating the overnight shooting.
According to the university, ECSU Counseling Services will be available beginning Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the Mickey L. Burnim Fine Arts Center.
If immediate support is needed, on-call and after-hours counseling support is offered at 252-335-3275.
ECSU says the safety and well-being of their campus community is top priority and they will continue to provide information as more becomes available.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting is encouraged to contact University Police at 252-335-3266.
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