A man is in custody after allegedly barging into a University of North Carolina student gathering, shouting racial slurs and sending students scrambling for cover as fears spread that he might have a weapon.
The incident unfolded Monday on the Chapel Hill, North Carolina, campus during a “Love Island Season 8 Reunion” watch party organized by several of UNC’s Black student organizations.
The school identified the man as 45-year-old Keegan Carlisle Wilson.
‘We Thought He Was Pulling Out a Gun’
Zion Jones, a first-year student, told WRAL she was attending the event when Wilson arrived.
“He started yelling racial slurs,” she said. “We went to the floor because he started reaching for his waist, so we thought he was pulling out a gun or something.”
Jones said she noticed Wilson was holding what appeared to be an aerosol can and a lighter.
She and several fellow students took cover for several minutes before finding a way out of the room.
“Most of us ended up running out of Greenlaw, and then after that the man was just out there,” Quincy Robinson, another first-year student, told WRAL.
Several students left behind personal belongings as they attempted to escape. Videos posted by students appeared to show Wilson swatting at phones as people recorded him.
School Response
UNC said it took approximately 17 minutes from the first 911 call for police to take Wilson into custody. He was then transported to a hospital after he appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis.
Jones questioned why it took that long to get Wilson into custody.
“17 minutes? That’s unbelievable,” she said.
Students also questioned why a campus alert wasn’t issued. UNC officials said it was because there was “no ongoing threat to campus safety.”
Questions also remain on how Wilson was able to gain access to Greenlaw Hall.
“How did he get in? Who let him in? That’s our main concern,” Robinson said to WRAL.
According to UNC, the hall was locked at 7 p.m., so it’s unclear how Wilson got into the building.
Student Organizations Respond
Several Black student organizations, including the Black Student Movement, apologized to students who attended the event and condemned what happened.
“We extend our deepest apologies, love, and support to everyone who was present and affected by this incident. No one should ever have to experience racism, intimidation, or fear in a space intended for community and fellowship,” the organization wrote on Facebook.
The organizations also told students who left personal belongings behind while escaping the building that arrangements would be made for them to retrieve their items.
UNC Student Body President Devin Duncan told WRAL he believes students can still feel safe on campus but acknowledged that students have questions about what happened.
“I think University Police have been on top of it,” he said. “Certainly there are concerns we are working to get answers to.”
UNC told Atlanta Black Star they are working with students who were impacted by the incident.
“We are providing support to those who were affected and our broader campus community. Appropriate University offices have connected with impacted students to provide support and resources, campus leadership has conducted outreach and continues to meet with student organization leaders and members of the campus community,” the university said in a statement.
Atlanta Black Star also obtained a message sent to students from James Orr, UNC Senior Vice Provost for Student Success, regarding the incident.
“What happened was frightening and unacceptable. Every student should be able to move through our campus without being subjected to threats or harassment and with full confidence that Carolina cares about their safety, dignity, and well-being.”
Wilson is expected to face criminal charges once he is medically cleared, including disorderly conduct, vandalism, damage to property and aggravated assault. The Orange County District Attorney will determine how to classify the incident.