Forsyth Tech cancels classes for remainder of week after student was hospitalized in shooting

Shannon Pitts, 18, a student at Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy, appears to have shot himself in the hand, according to Winston-Salem Police Capt. Shelley Lovejoy.

Lovejoy said Pitts' injuries are considered non-life-threatening. She said Pitts had a gun on campus.

Authorities said the shooting happened at the college's Strickland Center at a second-floor bathroom.

Police are trying to determine if Pitts shot himself intentionally or accidentally.

Pitts was at the community college as part of a focus program that welcomed 500 students to campus.

Authorities are working to determine whether to charge Pitts.

No one else was hurt in Thursday's shooting.

“This was not an active shooter situation,” Lovejoy said at a Thursday afternoon news conference.

On Thursday, the Winston-Salem Police Department's Broadcastify audio said a student was shot in the hand.

"There's a student that has been shot in the hand," the Broadcastify audio stated. "No suspect information."

Forsyth Tech has closed campus and all classes are canceled for the remainder of the week, according to a tweet posted by the college.

Lovejoy said high school students on the community college's campus have returned to their schools.

Law enforcement began releasing students, faculty, staff and visitors on Thursday afternoon from Forsyth Tech's main campus.

The Winston-Salem Police Department, Forsyth Tech Campus Police and the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office worked to release one building at a time.

"Buses are returning to high schools and departing campus now," an alert from Forsyth Tech read. "Early and middle college students can be picked up as usual outside of Ardmore [Hall]."

Also, parents and family members waited for their kids at a staging area.

Police on Thursday said there was no active shooter at Forsyth Tech after the campus alerted students, staff and faculty of an active shooter situation on campus.

A statement from the Winston-Salem Police Department read:

"We can confirm there is no active shooter on the campus of Forsyth Tech. There is still an active investigation on the campus. There are no other threats to any other schools in the area. Anyone with info about this event should call 911 or WSPD non emergency at 336-773-7700."

Anyone with information is asked to call 336-462-0506.

The investigation is ongoing.

An initial text was sent at 10:15 a.m. Thursday via the school's TechAlert messaging system about a report of shots fired at the Strickland Center, the campus bookstore at 2100 Silas Creek Parkway. The community was urged to shelter in place. By 11:30 a.m., the school tweeted it was in an active shooter situation.

Two armed and dangerous men were seen on campus wearing gray and black hoodies. The men were at large, according to the alert.

"Do not engage, call 911," the alert stated.

Police later said there was no active shooter.

Forsyth Tech student Christerpher Felder described Thursday's events from his perspective.

"I was actually leaving the Strickland building and just saw everybody running," Felder said. "So, we just tried to get out as fast as we could."

Felder said he went to the library and hid.

"We heard the gunshots, but we didn't know exactly what was going on," Felder said. "There were also kids playing outside, so we thought it was the little pop rocks things."

Felder said he heard three gunshots.

"It was really nerveracking," Felder said.

Kathy Maji, the mother of a 17-year-old school student who attends classes at Forsyth Technical Community College, described the heart-wrenching exchange of text messages she had with her daughter during Thursday's events.

"I told her, 'I know it's scary. Just make sure the door is locked,'" Maji said. "She said she moved rooms and it's locked. And, that's she's in the office with a lady, and that's what I heard at 11:20 a.m."

Maji said she cried on her drive to campus from the town of Kernersville.

Luis Rodriguez, whose 15-year-old son is enrolled in early college at Forsyth Tech, said his son's teacher did a great job keeping students calm. He said the teacher barricaded the door, turned off the lights and closed the shades.

"I didn't know what to do," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said he got in his car and went to campus.

"I know the probabilities of us getting our kid were low, but I'd rather be here than farther away from him," he said.

WRAL News asked Rodriguez what he would say to his son when he gets to see him.

"Big hug, first thing," Rodriguez said. "Give him kisses. Tell him I love him more than I already do."

Forsyth Tech student Yajaira Sandoval is a dental assistant student. She was locked down with her patient. Sandoval said she is accustomed to lockdowns from when she was a student at Glenn High School in Kernersville.

"I'm kind of used to it," Sandoval said. "It sounds bad. I know it does, but I'm used to it."

On Wednesday, students were notified that added security and police officers would be on campus after a threat toward several colleges. The threat was determined to not be credible, according to an email from the school.