A man's outburst toward students at an on-campus gathering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Monday night left students shaken.
On Wednesday, the university said it is unclear how Keegan Wilson was able to access the academic building, given that he has no current connection to the school. Greenlaw Hall was locked as of 7 p.m. Monday, according to UNC.
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Students said Wilson's outburst included harassing and racially charged remarks directed at Black people during a "Love Island" Season 8 reunion watch party. They said the commotion left them rattled and struggling to make sense of what was happening.
Wilson was also said to be throwing food, yelling slurs and holding what appeared to be an aerosol can and a lighter.
UNC Chair of the Faculty Michael Gerhardt said in an email to faculty that Wilson was not invited to the party. He emphasized members of the Black Student Movement, the African American Association, Historically Black at UNC, Sis2Sis, Black Pre-Law Student Association and the UNC National Society of Black Engineers were impacted by his behavior.
"He started yelling racial slurs," first-year student Zion Jones said. "We went to the floor because he started reaching for his waist, so we thought he was pulling out a gun or something."
Campus police said they learned about the incident at 9:21 p.m. Wilson was apprehended 15 minutes after officers were dispatched and admitted to a hospital for "exhibiting signs of mental distress." A viral video also showed Wilson confronting people in another part of campus.
Wilson, 45, is not affiliated with the university, according to UNC officials. He was charged with breaking and entering in August.
UNC said the safety and well-being of students, faculty and staff is its highest priority and acknowledged that people were affected by the incident.
Once medically cleared, Wilson is expected to be charged with disorderly conduct, vandalism, damage to property and aggravated assault. He will also be trespassed from campus. Orange County District Attorney Jeff Nieman will decide how to proceed and whether hate crime charges are appropriate.
In response to WRAL's questions, UNC said an Alert Carolina notification was not issued because UNC Police apprehended Wilson and determined there was no ongoing threat to campus safety.
Some students who were disturbed by what happened disagreed and said they believed there should have been a greater sense of urgency in the response.
"We need to figure out a plan that's actionable that we can get going as soon as possible," UNC student Ifeoluwatobi Onasanya said. "We can't wait for the next event to make a change."
"We clearly felt a threat in the room, and then he left the room, and he was in the Pit, and my understanding is he wasn't detained until South Road near Carmichael," UNC student Makhi Nash said.
A school spokesperson said UNC is providing support to those affected by the incident. James Orr, senior vice provost for student success, sent an email to the campus community on Wednesday.