ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — In the wake of the recent shooting at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), Redemption City Church has become a key source of spiritual and practical support for students and staff navigating the tragedy.

One person was killed and six others were wounded in the shooting that took place in the center of ECSU’s campus at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 27, following the school’s annual “Viking Fest” event.

The victim was later identified as 24-year-old Isaiah Caldwell, who was not a student at the school. Four other people were shot in the incident, including three ECSU students. Two more students were injured in the “subsequent commotion,” the school announced in a statement. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening.

The shooting remains under investigation by campus and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. No information regarding a suspect or suspects has been released.

Redemption City, located just 300 yards from where the shooting occurred, has deep ties to ECSU. With roughly half of the church’s small but growing congregation made up of ECSU students, the shooting hit especially close to home, said Pastor Andrew Browder.

Within hours of the incident, Browder and a team of about 10 volunteers — students and community members — mobilized to be present on campus in partnership with ECSU counseling services. Arriving just 12 to 15 hours after the shooting, the team offered a ministry of presence, simply being available to listen to students, pray with them and connect them to on-campus counseling services if needed.

“They really hadn’t even had time to process everything that was going on, it was so fresh,” Browder said.

The church leaned on its existing campus partnerships, including Viking Care, ECSU’s on-campus food pantry. While Viking Care regularly helps students in need, its services were especially needed the week following the shooting as the cafeteria closed temporarily and many students relied on the food pantry. 

Many students from Redemption City volunteered their time to pack bags for the food pantry. Redemption City also organized the packing of 200 “encouragement bags” filled with snacks, notes and care items, prepared by volunteers and students from the church that were handed out April 30.

“The students are taking the wheel of a lot of this, too,” Browder said. “Our community members are coming in, but our students are also like, ‘How can we love on our campus?’ Which is really cool to kind of see discipleship work itself out in the heart to serve people selflessly.”

Among the ECSU students serving their campus is Ava Morris, a senior studying business. Last week, she participated in many outreach opportunities, which included passing out the encouragement bags and walking around campus with her mom to talk with students.

“The church is supposed to be here for such a time as this, we’re really called to be there and show up for the people in this way,” Morris said.

Redemption City is also planning a dinner and movie night to help students relax and get off campus. 

“It’s a felt need from them,” Browder said, noting that students are looking for comfort and safe spaces in the aftermath of the incident.

Janiah Beach, a junior at ECSU studying elementary education and a member of Redemption City, witnessed the shooting from her dorm room window. She called campus the next day “a ghost town” as many students desired to get off campus quickly. 

ECSU officials canceled classes the Monday and Tuesday after the shooting and transitioned to remote learning for the remainder of the semester. Final exams are also being administered remotely. 

For those who chose to stay on campus, Beach said that Redemption City has “been on campus every single day, checking on the students and making sure that if there’s a need, that it’s being met.”

In addition to student care, the church is exploring how to support ECSU faculty and staff.

“They’re getting hit just as bad,” Browder said. “It’s almost like being in the break zone in the ocean, you’re just getting hit, wave after wave, but you can’t come out. You feel like you have to stay in and help the students.”

As the university community continues to recover, Redemption City hopes to serve as a bridge — connecting local churches to the university as the need for support continues.

Those wishing to support Redemption City’s outreach to ECSU can donate via the church’s online giving portal or by mailing a check to the church at 1851 W. Ehringhaus St. Box 141, Elizabeth City, N.C. 27909. All donations marked “ECSU response” will go directly to on-campus outreach efforts.