“This isn’t a Winston-Salem State University issue; this is a bad character issue, and it’s important that the blame go to the right people,” Winston-Salem Police Chief William Penn stated during a press conference on Sunday afternoon.
New details emerged regarding the fatal homecoming shooting at Winston-Salem State University as two suspects made their first appearances at the Forsyth County Courthouse. Investigators revealed that a deadly dispute erupted after three men approached a group of women behind Gleason-Hairston Terrace Hall to ask for their Instagram handles.
The suspects, 20-year-old Ziyaire Antonyo Spinks and 18-year-old Cequan Warren Brower, appeared before a judge in the early hours of Monday morning. Spinks stood in shackles with a reserved posture, while Brower appeared virtually and asked the judge for advice during his first encounter with law enforcement.
According to prosecutors, the confrontation began when the women declined the men’s requests for their social media handles. Brower allegedly used an expletive and pushed one of the women, prompting her brother to intervene and spark a physical fight. Surveillance and phone footage reviewed by investigators showed Spinks drawing a firearm from his waistband and firing into the crowd.
The gunfire claimed the life of 19-year-old Peyton Patterson, who was not a student at the university. A second victim, 22-year-old Alyssa Janae Ellerbee, suffered a gunshot wound and was treated and released from a local hospital.
Spinks is currently held without bond facing charges of murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and felony possession of a firearm on educational property. Brower received a $5,000 unsecured bond on a charge of misdemeanor affray. Prosecutors noted that Spinks was already on probation in Randolph County for reckless driving and carrying a concealed weapon, alongside pending armed robbery charges in Guilford County.
Following the tragedy, university officials canceled the remaining homecoming events, including the Fourth Quarter gathering and WSSU Day at Emmanuel Baptist Church. Classes on Monday, Nov. 9, were also called off, though Chancellor Bonita J. Brown announced that campus operations would resume at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Jeffery Love II, a junior and resident assistant at the university, described the campus lockdown protocol and the heavy emotional toll on students. University administration provided the Counseling Center contact at 336-750-3270 and an Employee Assistance Program line at 866-922-5712 for affected faculty and staff.
Spinks is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 19, while Brower’s next court date is set for Dec. 15.
