Subscribe
Follow Us
North Carolina Central University is implementing significant new safety and traffic protocols for its upcoming homecoming festivities after two separate shooting incidents that marred last year's event. The changes, which include stricter campus access and earlier event closures, aim to ensure a safer environment for students, alumni, and visitors.
The university recently released a comprehensive plan that revamps traffic and parking for the celebration. According to the new protocol, there will be no general visitor parking on campus. Limited exceptions will be made for those with ADA-accessible needs and for pre-approved RV parking, both of which will require a parking pass. Additionally, all tailgating must be officially authorized and preapproved by the athletics department.
In an effort to better control campus traffic flow, certain vehicles will be banned from campus grounds. The new rules prohibit motorcycles, golf carts, and other similar external vehicles. To accommodate the influx of attendees, the university is set to offer shuttle buses from downtown Durham and Durham Technical Community College, with designated drop-off points located across campus.
The schedule for North Carolina Central's homecoming events will also see a major shift. All music and outdoor festivities will conclude at 6:30 p.m. The campus will officially close at 7 p.m., with the final shuttle buses leaving for their routes at 8 p.m. This is a considerable change from past years, where events often extended later into the evening.
These sweeping changes come in direct response to a pair of unrelated shooting incidents that occurred during the 2024 homecoming. In the first incident, which took place on Oct. 26, a shooting left four people injured, including an NCCU student. Following the event, Jerrick Dennard Woods surrendered to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Earlier that Saturday night, 90 minutes prior, a second incident took place behind the Deborah Sanders White residence hall.
Danye Negash Medhin, an assistant professor at the time, was charged after allegedly discharging a firearm. Medhin reportedly fired three shots into the air, and while no one was injured, he was charged with discharging a firearm on educational property and felony riot. He was subsequently dismissed from his position at the university. North Carolina Central is scheduled to play Delaware State University for its homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 25, with kickoff at 1 p.m.
