Winston-Salem State Homecoming Shooting Leaves 1 Dead, 3 Injured in North Carolina

Two separate shootings on the campus of Winston-Salem State University during homecoming weekend left one person dead and three others injured, police said on Sunday, November 8, 2026. The Winston-Salem State homecoming shooting unfolded on Saturday night as the historically Black university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was celebrating one of its biggest weekends of the year, and police said it was too early to say whether the two shootings were connected.

Key Points

• Two separate shootings on the Winston-Salem State University campus on Saturday, November 7, 2026, left one person dead and three others injured.
• Police received the first call at about 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, and Forsyth County Emergency Medical Services took three shooting victims to hospital.
• Assistant Police Chief Jason Swaim said it was too early to say whether the two shootings were connected.
• No identities of the dead or injured have been released, police have not said whether any of the victims were students, and no arrests have been announced.
• An earlier campus lockdown has been lifted, police say the campus is safe, and the investigation is still in its early stages.

What Happened

The first call reached police at about 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Forsyth County Emergency Medical Services took three shooting victims to hospital. One person was killed and three others were injured across the two separate shootings, both on the Winston-Salem State campus during homecoming weekend.

Police held a news conference early on Sunday, at about 1:45 a.m., to give the first public account of the night. Assistant Police Chief Jason Swaim of the Winston-Salem Police Department said both shootings occurred on Saturday on the campus, but investigators could not yet say whether they were connected.

“At this point, the investigation is still very early in its preliminary stages,” Swaim said at the news conference. He said authorities were investigating, that the campus is safe, and that an earlier lockdown had been lifted.

Background: Homecoming Weekend at Winston-Salem State

Winston-Salem State University, founded in 1892, is a public historically Black university in the University of North Carolina System. Its homecoming weekend is one of the biggest events on the university calendar, drawing alumni, families and friends back to campus for reunions and the homecoming football game.

This year’s homecoming weekend included a football game against Fayetteville State University at Bowman Gray Stadium. Thousands of people were on and around the campus for the celebrations when the shootings happened on Saturday night.

Homecoming weekends are a point of pride for historically Black colleges and universities, drawing large crowds late into the night, which is why a shooting during homecoming carries a particular shock for the university community.

The university has not yet said whether any homecoming events were changed after the shootings. Police said the campus was safe by early Sunday and the lockdown was lifted.

Winston-Salem State Homecoming Shooting: What Police Have Said So Far

What is confirmed is narrow but clear. Two shootings happened on Saturday on the Winston-Salem State campus. One person died. Three people were hurt and taken to hospital. The first emergency call came at about 9:45 p.m. Police held a news conference at about 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, said the campus was safe, and lifted the lockdown.

What is not yet known is almost everything else. Police have not said where exactly on campus each shooting happened, what led up to them, or whether the same people were involved in both.

The conditions of the three injured people have not been disclosed, and the identity of the person who died has not been released, pending notification of family.

Reactions

The police response in the first hours was led by Assistant Police Chief Jason Swaim, who gave the early Sunday news conference. His message was deliberately limited: the facts as they stood, the campus declared safe, and a warning that the investigation was only just beginning.

“At this point, the investigation is still very early in its preliminary stages,” Swaim said, a line that signalled how little police were ready to confirm in public while the inquiry was still taking shape.

No statement from the university was included in the first reports, and no arrests had been announced by the time of the early Sunday briefing.

Why It Matters

A shooting at a university homecoming strikes at one of the most cherished traditions in American higher education, and at historically Black universities in particular. Homecoming is when generations of graduates return to campus, and families bring children to see where their parents studied.

The Winston-Salem State shootings also come just two weeks after another homecoming shooting at a historically Black university. On October 24, 2026, eleven people were shot near Florida A&M University’s Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee after the homecoming game, and a 15-year-old was later charged as an adult. A week later, seven people were hurt in a shooting near Indiana University in Bloomington during that school’s homecoming weekend.

Those earlier cases do not explain what happened in Winston-Salem, and police have not linked them. But they show why campus shootings during big celebration weekends draw national attention: large crowds and late-night events make keeping people safe harder, and the consequences reach far beyond the people who are hit.

What Happens Next

Winston-Salem police will now establish whether the two shootings are connected, identify the victims and any suspects, and determine what happened before the first call at 9:45 p.m. on Saturday.

Updates are likely to come in stages: the release of the victims’ identities once families have been notified, any arrests or charges, and a clearer account of where on campus the shootings took place. Police have not given a timetable.

For the university, the days ahead will be about supporting students and staff and reviewing security for future events. The campus is open and the lockdown has been lifted, but the investigation will continue until police have answers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened at Winston-Salem State University?

Two separate shootings happened on the campus during homecoming weekend on Saturday, November 7, 2026. One person was killed and three others were injured, police said on Sunday.

Are the two shootings connected?

Police do not know yet. Assistant Police Chief Jason Swaim said both shootings happened on Saturday on campus, but that it was too early to say whether they were connected.

Have any arrests been made?

No arrests had been announced by the early Sunday news conference. Police have not released the identities of the victims or said whether any of them were students.

Is the Winston-Salem State campus safe?

Police said the campus is safe and an earlier lockdown has been lifted. The investigation is continuing.

What is Winston-Salem State University?

Winston-Salem State University, founded in 1892, is a public historically Black university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and part of the University of North Carolina System. Its homecoming weekend included a football game against Fayetteville State University at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Related coverage: Florida A&M shooting: 15-year-old charged as adult after 11 wounded at homecoming; 7 hurt in Bloomington shooting near Indiana University after homecoming win; Tallahassee shootings: man hospitalised as 17 shot in seven incidents since Oct 24.