Two shootings at Winston-Salem State homecoming kill one, injure three
The gist
Two shootings during Winston-Salem State University's homecoming weekend killed one person and injured three others.
Two non-students were charged; the university canceled homecoming events and Monday classes.
How it unfolded
- Nov 7, 2026Around 9:45 p.m., officers responding to gunshots in the 600 block of South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive found 19-year-old Peyton Patterson, who died of a gunshot wound; 22-year-old Alyssa Ellerbee was wounded, treated and released.
- Nov 7, 2026At a second scene at Victory Circle and Cromartie Street around 10:22 p.m., officers found 21-year-old Najir Pearsall and 20-year-old Makyiah Ward, both gunshot victims; a related vehicle was later stopped by police.
- Nov 8, 2026Ziyaire Spinks, 20, was arrested and held without bond on murder and firearm charges; 18-year-old Cequan Brower was charged with affray and held on $50,000 bond. Police said neither was a WSSU student and that an argument between two groups led to the shooting.
Key terms
- historically Black university
- US colleges founded before 1964 with the purpose of educating African American students.
- homecoming
- A tradition of welcoming back alumni to celebrate an organization, common in US schools and colleges.
- affray
- A public-order offence involving fighting in a public place that frightens ordinary people.
Source: Wikipedia