Chapel Hill, N.C. – Faculty and students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are pressing university leadership and campus police for answers after a recent incident in which a man entered Greenlaw Hall, interrupted a student‑organized watch party, and hurled racial slurs at attendees. The disturbance, which occurred earlier this week, left an estimated 80 to 100 students scrambling for cover.
What happened
According to campus police, the individual identified as Keegan Wilson entered the building during a “Love Island” viewing event hosted by several predominantly Black student groups. First‑year student Samantha Hamilton, whose suitemate was present, described hearing three loud booms and rushing out of the hall, fearing a gunshot. “It was very scary,” Hamilton said.
Despite the chaos, the university did not issue an immediate Alert Carolina notification to the broader campus community. Police Chief Brian James explained that the delay was due to the time required for a system‑wide alert to be approved. “He was in custody and there was no longer a threat to campus,” Chief James said. “What I don’t want to happen is we’re sending out multiple alerts all the time about everything, and then, when it pops up, I really need you to pay attention to it. You’re like, ‘Oh, this is another Alert Carolina message.'”
Faculty and staff reaction
UNC faculty described the lack of an immediate alert as an “abandonment” compared with previous incidents where a threat was neutralized and an informational alert followed. “We’ve had other alerts where there was a threat, and the threat was neutralized, and then an information alert went out,” said Keisha Gibson of the UNC School of Medicine.
Biology professor Mark Peifer added that staff only received information about the incident on Wednesday, several days after the event. “This is an incident where 80 to 100 of our students thought there was an imminent threat to their lives. They were ducking under their desks,” Peifer said, noting it was the most serious campus incident since a fatal shooting years ago.
University response
Chancellor Lee Roberts told reporters that investigators do not believe the episode was racially motivated, describing Wilson as a “mentally ill individual” who was roaming campus “without much particular intent.” Chief James echoed this assessment, noting Wilson expressed thoughts that could lead to an involuntary mental‑health commitment. Wilson is currently receiving mental‑health care and has not been formally charged.
Police also disclosed that Wilson had been spotted on campus in a different building earlier in the week, but no call was made to officers at that time.
Calls for reform
Students and faculty are now urging the university to review its alert protocols and ensure that any credible threat triggers an immediate, campus‑wide warning. They argue that timely communication is essential to protect the safety of students, many of whom are parents or guardians themselves, and to uphold the university’s responsibility to the surrounding community.
University officials have indicated they will examine the incident and consider adjustments to the Alert Carolina system, balancing the need for rapid warnings with the risk of desensitizing the campus population to frequent alerts.
What’s next
The UNC administration has not set a specific timeline for policy changes, but the incident has sparked a broader conversation about campus safety, mental‑health support, and the role of rapid communication in protecting students and staff.
Original reporting: WRAL Raleigh — read the source article.
