One person died and three others sustained injuries during two separate campus shootings on Saturday night at Winston-Salem State University.
The first shooting took place just after 9:45 p.m. on Saturday in the 600 block of South Martin Luther King Jr., according to Winston-Salem police. Officers responding to gunfire found 19-year-old Peyton Patterson with a gunshot wound and attempted lifesaving measures alongside emergency medical services, but he died at the scene.
A second shooting occurred at 10:22 p.m. near the intersection of Victory Circle and Cromartie Street as officers investigated the earlier incident nearby. Police located 21-year-old Najir Pearsall and 20-year-old Makyiah Ward with gunshot wounds. Pearsall was taken to the hospital and listed in critical but stable condition; Ward was in stable condition.
Did You Know? Saturday marked homecoming game day at Winston-Salem State University, with the WSSU Rams playing the Fayetteville State Broncos earlier in the day before the violence unfolded on campus.
Winston-Salem police arrested 20-year-old Ziyaire Spinks in connection with the fatal shooting of Patterson. Spinks was charged with murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and felony possession of a firearm on educational property, according to NBC News. Court records show Spinks also faces a pending case in Randolph County from March and an October indictment in Guilford County.
Investigators also charged 18-year-old Cequan Brower with affray in connection with the fighting that preceded the gunfire. Assistant Chief Jason Swaim stated during a news conference that neither Spinks nor Brower were students at the university. Police reported that the initial shooting stemmed from an argument between two separate groups of people.
Winston-Salem State University canceled all classes for Monday to provide students time to process the events and access support services. Chancellor Bonita J. Brown described the incidents as senseless violence in a public statement. Classes are scheduled to resume Tuesday at 8 a.m., while administrative offices remain open.
Law enforcement officials urged community members to come forward with information regarding either incident. Anyone with details can contact the Winston-Salem Police Department non-emergency number at 336-773-7700.
Police charged 20-year-old Ziyaire Spinks with murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and felony possession of a firearm on educational property. 18-year-old Cequan Brower was also charged with affray.
According to police, neither Ziyaire Spinks nor Cequan Brower were enrolled as students at the university.
Police stated that the circumstances surrounding the second shooting remain under investigation, no arrests have been made, and authorities are still examining whether the two incidents are connected.
How are local students and families coping with the sudden suspension of homecoming activities and the transition back to classes?
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