However, I disagree with Deacdad2018 other posts in which he states that Wake is not a safe campus and then cites a couple off campus crimes, a burglary & an ATM crime. Wake is not responsible or liable in any way for crimes committed off campus . Liability is limited to what occurs on campus & specifically to the tragedy at The Barn for which I believe Wake was negligent & therefore liable. Unless one walks through the woods from Reynolda Village, or across the street at Polo or University parkway,there are only three streets leading into the campus, all three of which have gates and guards after 9 or 10 pm. The Reynolda campus has been there since 1956; I am a double graduate of Wake & I have no memory of an on campus killing until now. This is the most traumatic event or one of the most which I have experienced in my many Wake Forest years. All those many years ago when I was a student, we had no security gates or guards, no speed humps everywhere. James Ralph Scales lived in the first big brick house on the right as one entered the campus from Silas Creek. Traffic flowed freely day & night on the street which crossed the field in front of where the Scales Bldg now is located and cars flowed behind Taylor, Wait& Davis Chapels around the curve behind Poteat and turned left at the light, a short cut across to University, people going to and from their jobs at RJR. Another street-a fourth street-entered the campus off Polo& passed in front of the old Student &Faculty apartments on the street then called Faculty Dr which ran into the main street entering Wake off Silas. The Polo St entrance has been closed off many years. I don’t recall anyone ever getting murdered on campus until now. I recall a Wake Spanish instructor getting murdered at his second job at a convenience store off campus trying to earn extra money for his family. I recall I had an English professor who committed suicide -I believe he shot himself &he may have lived on campus. But nothing like what happened at The Bar ever occurred. We had really very little security on campus in those days & no violent crime like this. I read that President Hatch is paid over $ 4 million a year. I find that hard to believe. But I find it equally hard to believe that he & the administration were allowing the students to police themselves & just how much alcohol was consumed? He needs a big pay cut that comes with finding a new job. He, as captain of the ship, is responsible.
https://issuu.com/oldgoldandblack/docs/9.19/5
According to a 9/19/2013 article (link above) in the student newspaper, the Old Gold & Black, WFU implemented a policy that a campus police officer must be present at all Barn events that allowed students from other colleges to attend.
In this case, “other colleges” refers to Winston Salem State University, since the campus police and university administrators knew from experience that events open to WSSU students were the ones that experienced frequent problems with fighting. It wasn’t students from all-female Salem College who were coming to WFU and causing fights.
Requiring campus police to be present at all Barn parties was a prudent reaction to the problem. As the article states, some students didn’t like it but the administrators in charge at the time knew what was in the best interest of the university community.
Students, especially black students, resented the presence of campus police and they took advantage of the hiring of a new VP of Campus Life in 2013, Penny Rue, to raise their objections to the practice of policing Barn events. Rue enthusiastically embraced the viewpoint of the black students and she launched her own private “war on cops” against the campus police. They were criticized and investigated relentlessly over a period of years and ordered to undergo “implicit bias” and diversity training, and to stay away from Barn events, especially those that hosted students from WSSU.
So it is clear that university administrators knew that they had a serious security problem with certain events at the Barn. They initially acknowledged the problem and reacted by requiring the presence of campus police at Barn events.
Then, under politically motivated pressure from students and a new, sympathetic administrator, the university made a a deliberate decision to ban its own police force from providing security at events that had a record of causing problems.
In light of the recent murder at the Barn that is a direct result of this change in policy, we are still waiting for the various WFU administrators who supported the change to step forward and say, “I’m sorry, I was wrong.”
I am sure that in the future almost all Barn events will require the presence of a campus police officer. But it’s too late for the unfortunate WSSU student who was murdered.
BTW, my daughter tells me that she heard that the murdered student died at the scene immediately after being shot. The university reported that he was transported to the hospital and died there later. I guess WFU administrators wanted to claim that no one died on campus.
Also, the WS Police have still not caught the killer.
If ^^^ is true (not saying it’s not, just don’t know the facts or anyone’s agenda), this was an absurd reaction by administration to allow events at the Barn without proper security, especially with a history of issues within the particular group. We simply can’t have students influencing administration’s control over security. That is chaos , and that is what happened. I imagine there will be a massive lawsuit and it’s starting to sound like it’s well deserved.
Not sure why WFU is allowing other schools to use its facilities. Was this a joint school event? That would make more sense.
@rickle1 There was security at the Barn and yes, it was a joint school event. Let’s not spread rumors and falsehoods.
President Nathan O. Hatch released the following letter this afternoon. He addresses some concerns that members of the community had about the shooting.
Dear Wake Forest University Students, Faculty and Staff,
Earlier today, you received an update from the Winston-Salem Police Department about three men detectives seek to interview as part of their ongoing investigation. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the men depicted in the photographs is asked to call the Winston-Salem Police Department (336-773-7700) or CrimeStoppers at (336-727-2800).
In addition to calling attention to the update provided by the Winston-Salem Police Department, I also want to address a few concerns and rumors we have heard on and off campus.
There is concern being expressed about the delay between the shooting and the initial campus notification. The time that elapsed between the shooting and the initial notification to the campus community was too long. We are undertaking a thorough review to determine what contributed to the delay. Nothing is more important than the safety of our campus community and those visiting our campus, and we are committed to improving the timeliness of our warnings.
There is a rumor that there was not security at an event where approximately 475 people were present. At this point in the investigation, we can confirm that there was security at the event in accordance with our standard practices for late-night parties at the Barn. A uniformed University Police officer and hired security staff were present.
Some are asking why people were in attendance who were not Wake Forest students. It is not uncommon for students from other area schools to attend events here on campus. Our open campus contributes to a sense of shared community and vibrant social life, particularly for our underrepresented students. We are reviewing our event management processes to increase clarity of who is on our campus, and to help provide a safe experience for our students and visitors.
I’ve been asked about the status of the investigation and why the shooter has not yet been apprehended. As the Winston-Salem Police Department stated this afternoon, the investigation remains active and ongoing. We continue to support their investigation and have colleagues across the University who are working tirelessly toward that end.
The past few days have left our campus community unsettled. I am grateful for the many ways in which Wake Foresters have united to support one another.
A vigil to honor Najee Baker will be held at the Winston-Salem State Clock Tower on Wednesday from 5-6 p.m. Wake Forest will operate a shuttle on a first come, first served basis that will depart the Benson University Center Circle at 4 p.m.
My thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family and friends of Najee Baker. We will continue walking with our friends at Winston-Salem State as we work to help our communities heal.
Sincerely,
Nathan O. Hatch
President
As an alumni, and a parent of a current student, the headline “murder at Wake Forest” is not something I ever expected to see. Our hearts go out to the family of the young man killed.
Before this thread gets too much further down the rabbit hole, I thought I would provide some information that needs to be addressed and correct some misrepresentations that some are using to bolster an unspecified agenda.
The party at the Barn is one of hundreds that occur throughout the year. The sorority in question has used this facility for numerous gatherings and this years was nothing new, nor nothing special. It was a “kick-off the semester” event and as has been done in the past, other Chapters from different schools were invited to attend. There was an official sign-up that had to be completed, a current valid school ID was required to attend and the hosts of the party, the Wake Chapter was responsible for policing admittance. There was indeed security present at the Barn, and the WF Police Dept were also closely monitoring the surrounding areas. I came in the back gate around 11:00pm to drop off my daughter after dinner with us that night and noticed a number of WFPD police cars sitting at the entrance to the road the Barn sits on. The statements about there being no security or police presence are simply false.
The investigation into the shooting was turned over to the Winston-Salem Police Department due to their extensive investigative units and their Forensic capabilities. Neither WFPD nor WSSU Poice have a forensics unit or Homicide Divisions. As such, both WFU and WSSU agreed to let the lead detective and the police PR departments handle any on-going news releases to protect the integrity of the investigation. This is a standard agreement when you have multiple jurisdictions. Wake is not stone-walling nor covering up anything. The investigation has been hampered by the lack of cooperation from the participants at the party, most have refused to speak to the investigators. Earlier today, 3 photographs were released by the investigators (I believe they were taken from the security cameras at the barn) of the suspected shooter(s). Someone knows who these 3 gentlemen are, but so far no one has come forward. The assertion stated earlier that the body was moved after death is both preposterous and offensive. Standard police procedure is to leave a DOA in place for the coroner to pronounce and the Forensics team to collect evidence. The fact that he was transported to the hospital is a testament to the quick response of the first responders and they should be lauded for their efforts.
Winston-Salem is not a third world country and doesn’t have a reputation as a crime infested city. Yes, like all urban cities it has its share of problems and citizens who seek to do others harm. The campus itself is a very safe environment, and access is controlled at certain hours to further protect the students when they are the most vulnerable, namely at night when activity levels as down and there are fewer people around. Wake has done a fantastic job over the years adapting to the current environment and are incredibly responsive to the needs of the community. To say Wake is not a safe place because of the crime around the campus is not accurate. The two articles propositioned are evidence are not indicative of the environment. The incident in 2016 was an attempted robbery gone bad that occurred in the early morning hours along Polo Road. He was not at home at the time, but rather had walked a young lady home from a party and was returning to his apartment when he was attacked. There were two suspects identified almost immediately, were arrested and questioned. Unfortunately, there was no physical evidence that tied them to the scene and Lins was unable to identify them as his memory of that night was blank. The gun was never found. The incident on the quad turned out to be a domestic incident and charges were never presented because the victim decided not to cooperate.
Lastly, let me address the Greek system and off campus parties. Wake Forest has a no-tolerance policy around underage drinking. Wake owns no fraternity or sorority houses off-campus. The lounges used on campus by both Sororities and Fraternities are university owned and are granted to the Greek organizations based on compliance with university policies and rules. Not every organization has a lounge on campus, some for lack of space currently and others because they won’t follow the rules. These lounges are policed accordingly and violations are taken up by the various judicial groups. Those organizations who choose to hold off campus parties are doing so to avoid university policy, and allow for underage drinking. Wake cannot control what these organizations do off campus, nor do they approve or condone of this behavior. There have been multiple attempts to shut down these parties over the years. The WFPD in conjunction with the WSPD (who have the actual jurisdiction) have initiated multiple raids at these off-campus venues to try and deter the activity, but they simple move to a new location and continue the activity. There has been a renewed interest this year to stem this activity and I can only imagine what this situation will do to escalate those actions.
The events of last Friday will leave a lasting impression on the Wake community. I am certain that there will be changes to policy that some will find oppressive and others will believe are not going far enough. It will be a tough balance to achieve: allowing the students enough freedom to mature while trying to keep them safe from themselves. I hope the dialogue continues in a fair and accurate method that is productive rather than malicious or divisive.
Yes, let’s keep this to facts. Glad to see President Hatch’s response. Not sure why anyone would suggest there wasn’t security.
Thanks @WakeDad for your thoughtful and well informed response. @rickle1 I agree, why would someone have suggested that…hmm.
@WakeDad Thank you for your thoughtful and informed response. As a fellow Wake parent I feel the same way you do. When something tragic happens emotions go into overdrive which I completely understand but information isn’t always accurate and then it is spoken like it is a fact. President Hatch’s message today was helpful in dispelling some of the incorrect information. I agree that some changes will be made and not everyone will be happy. I spoke to to son again and he said he feels safe on campus which is what is most important to me!
@WakeDad I also want to thank you for your measured response. I really appreciate you taking the time to write such a long post. Maybe Wake should think about offering more non-Greek social opportunities for the students on the weekends. Maybe Greek life at Wake (and at many universities) is starting to hurt more than help the kids. Lots of big questions for the university to consider.
I appreciate the additional information of Wakedad who was & has been present & informed of events on & around campus. I was aware of the underage drinking charges of a number of students newly arrived back to school at one or more off campus parties several years ago as it was in the WS Journal. So many police to round up kids underage drinking yet today the school finally states one uniformed officer & unspecified private security were present at the Barn. Yet Wakedad states he saw a couple of WF PD cars at the entrance of the road at 11 pm leading to the Barn. Why were the WF PD not up at the Barn if they felt their presence necessary for this party? No, despite my disagreement with Deacdad2018 that Wake is not a safe campus & his misstatement that no police were present, I do not think Wake gets a get out of jail free card on this one.
475 were at the party. A prior incident had occurred with WSSU students that could not be handled by 3 WF police. WSPD had to be called in to break up 6 fights at the Barn as reported in 2014 in the press.
Even though this sorority may have reserved the Barn in the past for parties, the sorority has been suspended nationwide from over 12 colleges including WSSU at present & for 10 yrs. & it happened on their watch. No suspects have been arrested --no one wants to sing.
Prior incidents, police cars at the end of the road leading to the Barn, one uniformed officer for 475 people when 3 officers couldn’t handle a fight in the past.
The University is asking for a lawsuit which I think they are going to get & deserve. They have all these kids busted for underage drinking --big police action that happened right near the campus , but off campus – yet with police parked down the road they take no action except one officer to handle 475 people on campus at the Barn & a kid gets murdered.
@Deacgrad2 I had not heard the 475 attendance number. That’s close to capacity or just over capacity for the Barn depending on the configuration of the space. It’s also a much larger party than many of us had believed it to be. The area where I saw the WFPD was just a couple of hundred yards from the Barn and could have been a staging area in case they were needed. They could have also been a visual deterrent since anyone attending the party would have to drive right by them to get to the Barn. In fairness, I was formulating my post yesterday at the same time President Hatch’s response was released, so I did not see his comments until after my post was finished. I do find his comment about there being only 1 private security guard and 1 uniformed officer on site to be troubling. I suppose that could mean they were the only ones posted inside the Barn and the others were available close by if needed. Response time would have been immediate, so I guess it addresses the concern of a heavy police presence versus the right of assembly for those attendees. And I’m certain you are correct in your prediction of a lawsuit. Litigation of this type is very common, regardless of liability and I’m sure that Wake will be challenged. I don’t know enough about the situation to address Wake’s liability, but I’m certain that the real person to blame is the idiot who brought a gun unto Wakes campus (in violation of the university policy), got into an altercation at the party, and then lay in wait outside the facility until Mr. Baker exited and gunned him down in cold blood. That’s the person responsible and I only hope that they are caught, convicted and punished to the full extent of the law.
My apologies…I read President Hatch’s response wrong. There was a large staff of private security hired for the event, not just one. I don’t have information as to the total number of security but I was told it was in excess of 15.
- There is a rumor that there was not security at an event where approximately 475 people were present. At this point in the investigation, we can confirm that there was security at the event in accordance with our standard practices for late-night parties at the Barn. A uniformed University Police officer and hired security staff were present.
It seems they were in fact prepared for the number of attendees.
WakeDad you are closer to the scene than I. The number of private security? 15? How do we know the number, the training, the qualification for being there? Now I just read a brief article that the victim may have been outside the building itself. No guards there? My issue goes back to the fact that in 2014 Wssu students at the Barn were involved in 6 separate fights, too much for for 3 Wake Police officers to handle --we know the story as it was in the press. Wake had officers in police cars nearby on the fatal night instead of at the Barn choosing to let one officer & security guards handle it. Why were the officers not up at the Barn instead of sitting down the road in their cars in case something happened which it did? You seem to have an ear closer to the ground than most of do so if you can please keep us informed. Thanks.
There was news this afternoon about a couple arrests in the case. However, the murder suspect is still at large.
http://wakeready.wfu.edu/2018/01/jan-24-wspd-update-arrest-made-campus-shooting-investigation/
WFU administrators need to explain to WFU students and their parents as well as the alumni, faculty and staff of WFU why they approved a student event-management system that allowed dangerous, armed gangbangers (who are obviously not students affiliated with any university) to attend a student event, start fights, commit a murder and escape.
That’s not my definition of a safe campus.
This is clearly a tragic event and I feel for the dead student’s family and friends. I also recognize that this is a difficult situation for Wake administrators, who are absorbing blame for some things that they may not be responsible for.
However, it annoyed me to receive an email today with the subject line “Arrest in Wake Forest shooting,” only to open it and learn that the actual shooter is still at large. I don’t necessarily blame Wake for the fact that a shooting occurred but the crime situation on campus is a little worrisome and it is not reassuring to feel that the University’s efforts are focused on damage control rather than doing everything possible to ensure that the campus and surrounding areas are safe for students.
I just read this in the Winston-Salem Journal Now from today: “Wake Forest officials confirmed there was security at the event in accordance with standard practices for late-night parties at The Barn. A uniformed University Police officer and hired security staff were present, officials said.”
Trusting, 1 uniformed police officer plus private security is inadequate for 475 people. Wake had at least 2 police cars at, 11 pm, parked at the road leading to the Barn. Hatch stated a couple days ago about the one police officer being there. But now it turns out there were 2 guys with guns-a 16 year old kid who pointed it at a 24 year old man. The kid is in jail without bail. And the guy who has been charged with killing Baker, the wssu student has not been captured. Lots of questions :what was a16 year old non college student doing there with a gun &a 24 year old man doing there? We could easily have had another Va Tech situation—2 guns firing into the crowd ----in 2014 6 fights broke out at the Barn among wssu students —too much for three Wake police to handle so WS police had to help —story was in the press --Wake seriously mishandled this matter & has exposure .
I just want to say one more thing: If this incident had happened right outside the Wake Forest gates, it would have been labeled as “WSSU student shot on University Parkway”. The only reason it is getting any exposure at all was because it happened on the campus.
Many people on campus don’t fully understand what barn parties are and what they meant to, as Hatch put it, the “underrepresented populations” on campus. And we can try to tell people until our faces theoretically turn blue- but we can’t make people care.
All barn activities for the Divine Nine and the two historically black sororities on campus have been suspended for the rest of the semester. So you all can stop with the namecalling, the fingerpointing. Just because the sorority that hosted the party was banned at different colleges doesn’t matter. Are the Deltas at Duke the same Deltas at NC State? Would you hold one accountable for the actions of another? Stop grouping all “underrepresented students” together as some thuggish monolith.
As someone said earlier in the thread, there was a time that Barn parties were heavily secure. There were metal detectors, wands, all that jazz. However, the police treated the same people they were supposed to be protected unfairly. One police officer recorded the participants at the party, calling them c**ns. They racially profiled black students, randomly asking for ID, or following them around campus.
Black students deserve to be here, to be on this campus. We deserve to have the freedom to get together and enjoy ourselves just as our nonblack counterparts do. I agree that the way the school handled this is extremely poor. But also the way that people are talking about it isn’t helping.
Racial profiling is completely unacceptable anywhere. However, appropriate security for an event with a past experience of problems is completely appropriate. More uniformed officers should have been at an event with 475 attendees. Doing a quick background check of the Winston Salem State campus reveals some troubling statistics. There was a violent stabbing involving WSSU students not 3 months ago. Two years ago there was another fatal shooting involving WSSU students.
If the university knew there was a history of altercation at this event plus the fact that there has been a history of violent activity involving the campus of other event participants, that to me warrants a significantly higher police presence.
Prior postings have conveyed that the campus police presence at this event had been watered down due to racial sensitivity. If true, that has turned out to be a mis-informed and fatal mistake.