One person was killed and six others were injured after a shooting on the campus of Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina early Sunday morning. The shooting occurred around 12:30 a.m. on April 27, 2025, following a Yard Fest event that was part of the university’s Viking Fest celebration.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) identified the deceased victim as Isaiah Caldwell, a 24-year-old from Albany, New York. Caldwell, who was not a student at ECSU, was a member of the Groove Phi Groove social fellowship and was visiting the campus at the time of the incident.
According to a news release from the university, four victims sustained gunshot wounds, and three of those victims are university students. Two other university students were injured “during the subsequent commotion.” The university stated that none of the injuries were considered life-threatening, and all of the injured were taken to a local hospital.
One of the injured students was identified as Sara Hill, a member of the ECSU volleyball team. Hill recounted the terrifying moments when the shooting began. She was near the shooter when gunfire erupted and had to flee. Hill was shot in the hip but didn’t realize it until after escaping the shooter’s line of sight. Two ECSU football players were also among those shot during the incident.
ECSU student Mark Hurlbut described hearing the gunshots from his dorm room. “I heard the gunshots through my window and through the walls,” Hurlbut said. “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.”
Another student, Zion Upchurch, told local media that the events had left him emotional. He had left the area shortly before the shooting occurred but heard the gunshots from his dorm. He expressed sadness over the fact that the person who died wasn’t even a student at the university.
Following the shooting, the university implemented a campus lockdown and a shelter-in-place order for all students. The lockdown was lifted later that day after law enforcement officials determined that the campus was no longer under threat.
In response to the incident, ECSU canceled classes through Tuesday, April 29, and shifted to remote learning for the remainder of the semester, which ends on Friday. Interim Chancellor Catherine Edmonds expressed the university’s sympathies to those affected by the shooting and emphasized the resilience of the ECSU community.
The university has made counseling services available for students, faculty, and staff affected by the incident. On-campus counseling began Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the Mickey L. Burnim Fine Arts Center, with on-call and after-hours support.
Security measures have been increased across the campus, with additional patrols and restricted access to the center of campus.
Multiple law enforcement agencies are participating in the investigation, including the ECSU Police, Elizabeth City Police, Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office, Camden County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. According to reports, investigators have identified people of interest who are not believed to be ECSU students, but no arrests have been made as of April 29.
The SBI is reviewing social media videos from the event and has asked the public for help with any information, videos, or pictures that might assist in the investigation. Students and parents have expressed frustration with the limited information released by the university and law enforcement officials.
The shooting at ECSU comes amid ongoing discussions about gun safety in North Carolina. According to advocacy groups, North Carolina has seen an increase in mass shootings and gun deaths since repealing its permit-to-purchase law in 2023.
For those who may have information about the shooting, university officials encourage contacting the ECSU Police at 252-335-3266. The investigation remains active as authorities work to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting and identify those responsible.
