A man is dead following an officer-involved shooting at East Carolina University (ECU) on Monday evening. The Greenville Police Department reported that officers were called to assist ECU Police at the ECU North Recreational Complex, located at 601 Recreational Way, around 4:30 p.m. after receiving a report of a man with a gun who was threatening to harm himself.
At approximately 5:15 p.m., the situation escalated when the man reportedly raised a gun at officers, prompting one Greenville officer to shoot and fatally wound him. The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative assignment as per protocol. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has been requested to investigate the incident further.
A witness, Leo Brown, who was at the ECU North Recreational Complex playing frisbee golf, described his close proximity to the man before the shooting. Brown recalled being only 10 to 15 feet away from the individual and initially greeting him, but the man only responded by shaking his head. Brown was later approached by a police officer, who informed him that the man was armed and dangerous. He and others were instructed to back up, and soon after, police attempted to engage with the man. Brown heard two gunshots shortly after being moved to a safer distance of about 100-150 feet away.
The man who was killed is believed to be middle-aged and has no known connection to ECU. Officials also confirmed that the incident occurred at a location far from the university’s main campus, which is why no campus-wide alert was issued. ECU’s Deputy Chief of Police, Chris Sutton, explained that there was no indication of an ongoing threat to the campus or health facilities.
The shooting is under investigation, and authorities are urging anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward and contact local police. More information will be released as the investigation continues.
