Questions surround student's death

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WAVY) - The mystery surrounding a student's shooting death at Mid-Atlantic Christian University deepened Monday. University officials said sophomore Jonathan Schipper was shot and killed Sunday afternoon by another student inside a dorm room on campus.

Detective Jerry Boyce with the Elizabeth City Police Department said officers arrived at the dormitory and found Schipper dead inside the dorm room of the accused student, and the accused student was standing "in the hallway with a gun that was unloaded." Police have not released the name of the accused student because he has not been charged. Detective Boyce said that student was cooperative with police but at this point investigators were not prepared to file charges against him.

Numerous students told WAVY.com they were not surprised that the accused student had a gun on campus. "He was a police officer, he had a gun, it was part of his job so I am not surprised he had a gun on campus," said student Elizabeth Vahey. University president, Dr. Clay Perkins would not say if the accused student is or was a police officer somewhere. He did say the student was not a university officer. Beyond that Dr. Perkins told WAVY.com to ask police about the possibility that the student is or was a police officer.

Detective Boyce said, "I can't confirm or deny that at this point. But, he is not a police officer with us."

Classes were cancelled at the university Monday but will resume Tuesday. Grief counselors were on hand to help any students or faculty deal with the shooting.

Dr. Perkins added, "This will affect us for years to come. This is an ugly incident that happened in a good place."

The university posted a statement on their website that says the shooting stemmed from a personal matter between the two students involved.

Below is a statement released by the school:

We are saddened to confirm that one of our students, Jonathan Schipper, was fatally wounded Sunday by another student. We have very few details at this time, but it appears to be a personal matter between two students. An investigation is in process and the university is cooperating with the police in the investigation. Any student, faculty and/or staff with any information regarding this incident is expected to cooperate fully.

MACU is a faith-based institution of higher education that always strives to express love, forgiveness, and the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are shocked and saddened that this incident has occurred on our campus. The student who apparently did the shooting willingly submitted himself to police custody.

The safety and security of our students, staff, and faculty are always a priority. Jonathan was a sophomore at Mid-Atlantic Christian University in the Youth and Family Studies program. While a quiet individual he was well liked by his fellow students and had a passion for serving the Kingdom. Jonathan was from Havelock, NC.

The university extends their heartfelt sympathy to the families involved. We ask that the community reach out to those individuals with their love and support.