North Carolina: Student Shot And Killed At Christian University

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ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WAVY) - Monday classes have been canceled at Mid-Atlantic Christian University in Elizabeth City, N.C., after a tragic shooting over the weekend. School officials say local ministers and counselors will be available throughout the day to help students grieve the loss of their classmate.

According to police, one student shot another inside a dorm room in Pearl Presley Hall Sunday afternoon. The student accused of the deadly shooting willingly surrendered himself to police, according to the university. He has not been charged with anything and is not in custody at this time though, according to Elizabeth City Police.

Officers responded to the call of a gunshot victim just before 1:00 p.m. in the 700 block of N. Poindexter Street. Upon arrival they discovered a male student with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a police report. The victim has been identified as Jonathan Schipper, a sophomore at the university.

The last place students at Mid-Atlantic Christian University expected to see violence was at their own school.

"Violence is unacceptable wherever it happens," said Mid-Atlantic President Dr. Clay Perkins.

But Sunday, the small campus of just 180 students turned into a crime scene. School officials say a fight between two students became deadly.

"The mood is just shock," Dr. Perkins added. "There are lots of hugs and lots of tears. The university is in pain."

The campus was put on lockdown following the shooting. Crime scene tape wrapped around the residence hall as detectives and school officials looked for answers.

"The why questions are abundant at the moment," said Dr. Perkins. "I don't even have those answers."

The answers could help provide comfort for the student who are leaning on each other for support.

"We are a family," Dr. Perkins added. "This will affect us for years to come. This is an ugly incident that happened in a good place."