Authorities have made an arrest in connection with one of two shootings on the Winston-Salem State University campus that killed one person and injured three others Saturday. Ziyaire Antonyo Spinks, 20, was arrested in connection with a shooting that killed Peyton Izaia Patterson, 19, the Winston-Salem Police Department said in a statement Sunday. Spinks faces charges of murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and felony possession of a firearm on an educational campus. Officers who responded after hearing gunshots found Patterson suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers and emergency medical services attempted to take life-saving measures, police said, but he did not survive. The shooting injured Alyssa Janae Ellerbee, 19, who was treated at a hospital and later released, police said. Police have determined that this shooting is an isolated incident, unrelated to a separate shooting that also occurred on campus Saturday night. Spinks is being held without bail, according to police. Court records show he has a pending case involving a concealed weapon and marijuana possession charges since an arrest in March. The attorney representing Spinks in the March case, which is in Randolph County, told NBC News on Sunday that he was unaware of the new charges in Forsyth County. It is unclear whether Spinks has retained independent counsel. The shooting stemmed from an altercation between two groups, according to Jason Swaim, deputy chief of the Winston-Salem Police Department’s Field Services Bureau. An additional arrest was made against 18-year-old Cequon Warren Brower in connection with a fight. “One thing I will add about the campus homicide, because I know this has been a question, is that the arrestee charged with murder, Mr. Spinks, was not a student at Winston-Salem State University, and neither was Cequon Brower,” Swaim told reporters Sunday. That shooting occurred at 9:46 p.m. and another shooting was reported on campus at 10:22 p.m., Swaim said. Responding officers found two people with gunshot wounds. A vehicle related to that incident was identified and later stopped by West Side police officers. As of Sunday afternoon, no arrests have been made in that case, according to Swaim. Saturday was homecoming game day at the historically black university, with the WSSU Rams taking on the Fayetteville State Broncos earlier in the day. Winston-Salem State University Police Chief Amir Henry assured the public that the campus was secured. He noted that this was typically a time for the university community to come together in “shared pride and connection.” “Tragically, this year, this celebration has been overshadowed by the loss of life and injuries resulting from two separate shootings on our campus,” Henry said. Emergency services audio obtained by NBC News showed officers reporting that one victim suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Another recording showed an officer calling for a second ambulance. The remaining homecoming activities scheduled for Sunday were canceled, including an event at Emmanuel Baptist Church, according to a statement from Winston-Salem State University Chancellor Bonita J. Brown. Brown expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased victims and said he was praying for the recovery of the injured. He also acknowledged that members of the university community “may have witnessed or experienced things that no one should have to endure.” He urged people to use the university’s counseling services and follow police instructions as the investigation into the shooting continued. “Throughout our history, Winston-Salem State University has faced challenges, but we have always found strength in each other,” Brown wrote. “That’s what it means to be a part of Ramily and to be a strong Ram.”
