Two Arrested After Fatal Shooting at Winston-Salem State University Homecoming

Homecoming weekend at Winston-Salem State University ended in tragedy that left a 19-year-old dead and another person injured, with new details emerging about the events leading up to the shooting.

Peyton Patterson, 19, was killed near Gleason Hall following the Rams’ football game against Fayetteville State. A second victim, 22-year-old Alyssa Janae Ellerbee, suffered a gunshot wound and has since been released from a local hospital.

Court Details Reveal Escalation

During first appearances at the Forsyth County Courthouse, prosecutors outlined an updated timeline of how events unfolded on that very night. Three men—Ziyaire Antonyo Spinks, Cequan Warren Brower, and Patterson—approached a group of women behind Gleason-Hairston Terrace Hall and asked for their social media information.

When the women declined, 18-year-old Cequan Warren Brower allegedly used an expletive and pushed one of them.

Investigators stated in court that 20-year-old Ziyaire Antonyo Spinks pulled a firearm from his waistband and fired multiple shots into the crowd. Spinks and Brower then allegedly jumped a wall, shed their hoodies, and fled toward the university’s conference center before police tracked them down.

Spinks and Brower Face Various Criminal Charges

Spinks faces charges of murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill/inflict serious injury, and felony possession of a firearm on educational property. He is being held without bond and is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 19.

Brower was charged with misdemeanor affray. The judge lowered his bond to $5,000 unsecured, citing his lack of a prior record, with his next court date set for Dec. 15. Prosecutors noted during the hearing that neither suspect is a student at the university or has family living in Forsyth County.

Spinks is currently on probation in Randolph County for reckless driving and carrying a concealed gun, and faces pending robbery and firearm charges in Guilford County. Winston-Salem Police Chief William Penn emphasized during a Sunday press conference that the shooting was an isolated incident rooted in individual actions rather than campus safety policies.

Campus Response and Return to Class

University administrators canceled the remainder of homecoming events, including the Fourth Quarter event and a scheduled church service. Classes for Monday, Nov. 9, were also called off to allow for counseling services.

Winston-Salem State University Chancellor Bonita J. Brown announced that operations would resume at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10. In a message to students and staff, Chancellor Brown acknowledged that as the university prepares to resume classes, the community is returning to campus with heavy hearts following Saturday’s tragic events, adding that there is no single way to process what the community has experienced.

Earlier coverage: One Dead, Three Injured in Dual Shootings During Winston-Salem State University Homecoming