NORFOLK, Va. — Tragedy struck Old Dominion University’s campus late Wednesday when a shooting in a campus parking lot resulted in the deaths of two young men, marking it as the deadliest college campus incident in the country in six months. The victims, identified as Delanio M. Vick, 18, and Timothy G. Williams Jr., 20, suffered life-threatening injuries and later succumbed to their wounds at a local hospital.
Responding to the incident around 9:40 p.m. at parking lot 3 on 49th Street, Norfolk and ODU police discovered the gravely wounded students. Authorities are currently investigating the event and have yet to apprehend any suspects in connection with the fatal shooting.
This event at Old Dominion University is part of a concerning trend of gun violence on U.S. college campuses. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit organization, there have been seven shootings on college campuses across the country this year, three of which were fatal.
The trauma of school shootings extends beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting the broader educational community and reigniting debates around gun control and campus safety measures. Prior to the ODU incident, the most recent deadly occurrence was at Rice University in Houston, where two people were killed on August 26, 2024.
In comparison, Virginia and North Carolina have seen a spate of school shootings not only at universities but also encompassing K-12 institutions. In Virginia alone, two school shooting incidents were reported this year, including an accidental discharge by a man who shot himself in the parking lot of John Smith Elementary School in Hampton.
Analyzing last year’s data, Everytown for Gun Safety indicated that Virginia encountered seven shootings across K-college campuses. Virginia State University was noted for being particularly affected, with multiple incidents recorded on its grounds.
In North Carolina, 2023 has also been marked by gun violence on educational premises. This includes a tragic event earlier in the year at East Carolina University, where police fatally shot an armed individual threatening self-harm. More recently, an 18-year-old student at Winston-Salem State University accidentally shot himself inside a university residence hall. In 2022, the state recorded a total of 12 school-ground shootings, eight of which occurred on college campuses.
Each of these incidents underscores a persistent, nationwide problem of gun violence in educational settings, prompting calls for enhanced security measures and stricter gun control laws. The repeat of such tragedies highlights the urgency for policy changes and the need for communities and policymakers to reassess strategies to ensure the safety of students and staff across educational institutions. As the investigation at Old Dominion University continues, the community awaits answers and action in the face of this harrowing reality.