By Bob Allen
A Baptist-affiliated university in North Carolina recently mourned the loss of a student murdered at an off-campus party Dec. 5.
Flags flew at half-staff at Chowan University in Murfreesboro, N.C., for a Dec. 9 memorial service for DaMarco Trevon Duncan, 21, a student from Temple Hills, Md., fatally shot when gunfire erupted at a party attended by about 400 students and locals at a night club.
Police said several fights broke out in the Sandy Shores Lounge, an establishment no longer open for business but rented out to private groups, with one disturbance making it outside. A young man then pulled out a gun and started firing.
Local media say Duncan was shot once in the back while attempting to run from the scene. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Police said they were following leads but no arrests had been made.
University President M. Christopher White described Duncan as “a man of promise and potential.” He requested prayers for the family, loved ones and friends.
White ordered flags to be flown at half-mast and a moment of silence during events the week of the shooting. A grief counselor spoke to students and campus ministers were available as needed.
Founded in 1848, Chowan is the second-oldest Baptist school in North Carolina. It enrolls about 1,400 students and is one of five educational institutions affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.