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Story updated on Sept. 24 to reflect names of two arrested

MURFREESBORO – Two individuals from Virginia are under arrest after shots rang out here early Sunday morning on the campus of Chowan University.

Chowan Campus Police arrested Kahlil Williams-Cook of Hampton and Jamonte Smith of Newport News in an area along Union Street near Cotton Street. That arrest occurred at around 3:40 a.m.

Williams-Cooke was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a weapon on school grounds, and resisting a public officer.

Smith faces a charge of resisting a public officer.

Neither man is enrolled as a Chowan student.

The shots were fired at around 2:25 a.m. outside Whites Crossing, an area of student residential housing located along Union Street on the south end of the campus. Damage was reported there to real and personal property.

“To our knowledge, no students were injured on campus. However, two students were injured off-campus and were treated and released from area medical facilities,” a University official said in a statement. “University administration has been in contact with the families of the two students who were injured. Out of respect for the privacy of those students and their families we are unable to share any other details.”

The off-campus incident occurred in Northampton County and is being investigated by law enforcement officials in that jurisdiction.

When asked about a connection between the shots fired at Whites Crossing and the off-campus incident, a University official did not provide any information, other than it was an “ongoing investigation.”

The campus was placed on lockdown for a period of time following the two incidents, according to the official.

“We sent out an email and text to our students, faculty, and staff via HawkAlert and by Chowan News and followed that up as more information was available to share,” the official told the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald. “The safety of our students, faculty, and staff remains our highest priority.”

A campus meeting was held on Monday afternoon where Chowan officials were joined by the Murfreesboro Police and Hertford County Sheriff’s Office to address the incidents and to promote safety.

“All of us are working collectively to ensure the safety of those living, working, and visiting this campus,” the University official said. “We also used that meeting to encourage those to share any information they have about these two incidents by contacting Chowan University Campus Police at 252-398-1234 or call 9-1-1.”