Wayne Community College shooting
By John Joyce
Published in News on April 13, 2015 1:53 PM
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
One of the law enforcement officials who responded to the shooting.
One person was killed inside the Wayne Community College library today, and the gunman -- a white male standing nearly 6 feet tall with a tattoo on his face -- was still at large as of press time, Goldsboro police officers confirmed this morning.
And while the crisis has yet to be resolved, details from witnesses and college staff have been trickling in since the shots-fired call was received just after 8 a.m.
Moments after the shooting, WCC went into lockdown -- as did nearby Wayne Country Day School and Tommy's Road Elementary.
Goldsboro Fire Chief Gary Whaley said no one was being let in or out of the WCC campus and that no additional information was being released -- but, that a press conference led by State Highway Patrol Lt. Jeff Gordon would be held shortly before noon.
Sheriff Larry Pierce and Goldsboro Police Chief Jeff Stewart arrived at the scene and coordinated efforts to set up a command post roughly 15 minutes after the shooting. At that time, college President Kay Albertson said she hoped the situation would be resolved quickly.
"We are following our procedures," she said.
At one point, 20 students and faculty members were evacuated from the first floor, after having barricaded themselves inside. The process was repeated as Wayne County SWAT Team members systematically swept through each building and cleared each room.
The victim has been identified as Ron Lane, a WCC printing technician.
The Johnston County Sheriff's Office also had arrived on the scene with military-style vehicles and weapons. An area from New Hope Road to Cox Boulevard, south of the school, had also been shut down and was being evacuated.
The Wayne County Sheriff's Office helicopter was on patrol over the campus and vicinity.
Other agencies that responded to the shooting included the Red Cross, which was called out to help students and faculty who were close to the scene cope with what had unfolded.
Authorities did not describe the alleged weapon, but in their description of their "person of interest," former student Kenneth Stancil, identified him as having a long rifle in his possession.