DURHAM, N.C. — A Rocky Mount city councilman is facing a felony charge after North Carolina Central University campus police said he brought a gun onto the Durham campus during homecoming festivities on Saturday, about 23 miles northwest of Raleigh, N.C.
The councilman, who represents Ward 4 on the Rocky Mount City Council, is accused of bringing a gun on educational property, a felony offense, and carrying a concealed weapon on campus during homecoming. Campus police arrested him Saturday.
His bond was set at $10,000, which he posted the same day. He is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 8:45 a.m.
The arrest came on the final day of the university homecoming week, which wrapped up Saturday with the Eagles football game against William & Mary. Homecoming draws thousands of alumni and visitors back to the Durham campus each year.
State law makes knowingly carrying any firearm on educational property or at a school-sponsored activity a Class I felony. The law does allow concealed handgun permit holders to keep a locked firearm inside a closed vehicle on campus, but carrying a weapon on one’s person remains illegal regardless of permit status.
A conviction would also carry an administrative penalty: a three-year disqualification from holding or obtaining a concealed handgun permit in North Carolina.
The councilman was elected to a four-year Ward 4 term running from 2023 through 2027. The City of Rocky Mount acknowledged the arrest in a statement but said it would not comment on pending legal proceedings involving individual elected officials.
It was not yet known whether the councilman holds a concealed handgun permit or where on campus the encounter happened. The case is set to move through a Durham County courtroom later this week.