A Winston-Salem State University student was shot and killed at Wake Forest University on Jan. 20 following an alleged altercation at an on-campus venue.
It was one of 11 school shootings so far in 2018.
Najee Baker, 21, was attending a social event at The Barn, a student-centered social space at WFU. The university said in a statement it is common for non-students to attend events there due to their open campus.
Three days after the event occurred, the Winston-Salem Police Department identified three men who they thought were suspects in the criminal investigation. The department has since located and interviewed two of the men.
Malik Smith, 16, is being held at Forsyth County Detention Center on charges of possession of a handgun by a minor, assault by pointing a gun and possession of a firearm on educational property. The second man has been found, but his name has not been released, as police have not found evidence to connect him to the crime.
WFU students expressed concerns about the time gap between when the incident occurred and when they were alerted. UNC’s AlertCarolina system experienced a similar problem recently, when it took 40 minutes to send out an alert about a strangling on campus and included factual errors.
“We are undertaking a thorough review to determine what contributed to the delay,” WFU said in a statement. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our campus community and those visiting our campus, and we are committed to improving the timeliness of our warnings.”
Kayle Jordan, a WFU first-year, said the mood on campus has noticeably changed following the event.
“Police and security have increased since the weekend,” she said. “I feel a lot of reflection has taken place and a lot more awareness has been brought up. It has been, at least to me, a little more solemn.”
