Shooting at Elizabeth City State University leaves one dead, six injured

One person is dead and six others are injured following a shooting at Elizabeth City State University.

(CNN)- One person is dead and six others are injured following a shooting at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), a historically Black university on the North Carolina coast. The incident occurred early Saturday morning in the center of campus, just after the university had concluded its multi-day Viking Fest celebration, which involved both students and alumni.

Mark Hurlbut, an ECSU student, described hearing the gunshots through his window. “I heard the gunshots through my window and through the walls,” Hurlbut said. “It finally clicked. This happened right outside my door.”

According to university officials, the person who died in the shooting was a 24-year-old man who was not an ECSU student. Three of the injured victims were current students, while two others were hurt in the chaos that followed the gunfire. Fortunately, none of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.

Jamarin Johnson, another ECSU student, recounted the frightening moment. “It was scary for real,” Johnson said. “I was over there talking to one of my friends, and I saw a lot of people running.” Johnson also expressed his concern for the victims, adding, “Just praying for them, praying for their families.”

Zion Upchurch, also a student, had left campus just before the shooting took place but recalled hearing the gunshots from his dorm. “I had left right before all of this transpired, but I had heard the gunshots from my dorm. And then I got a phone call saying some people had been shot,” Upchurch said.

The shooting has shaken the tight-knit ECSU community, which enrolls just over 2,000 students. “We’re a family,” said Johnson. “Small school, small HBCU, you know. Everybody knows everybody. It’s a small family, so just make sure your family’s okay.”