Campus Alert Archive
Livingstone

An 'Active Shooter' Call at a Homecoming Concert, Then a Downgrade

NCshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Around 11 p.m. on Saturday, October 15, 2022, gunfire broke out during a homecoming concert by rapper Asian Doll at Livingstone College, a historically Black college in Salisbury, North Carolina. Three people were shot — including the man later charged — after a verbal altercation between non-students. Salisbury police initially broadcast it as an active shooter on campus before downgrading the call and declaring the campus safe.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
3
Institution
Livingstone College
Hbcu · NC
~1,000 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction175 chars
LIVINGSTONE ALERT: Shots fired on campus. Seek shelter immediately. Lock doors, stay away from windows, and remain inside until further notice. Call 911 to report information.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstruction based on reporting that gunfire erupted around 11 p.m. EDT during the homecoming concert and that police initially treated it as an active-shooter situation.
Salisbury police's initial 'active shooter' framing, later downgraded, illustrates how a chaotic concert shooting can be classified at the highest threat level before facts settle.
ALL CLEARSMS+1h 20m
Approximate reconstruction210 chars
LIVINGSTONE UPDATE: The campus has been declared safe. There is no active shooter. Police are investigating a shooting from the concert. Counseling will be available. Avoid the concert area while officers work.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstruction reflecting the documented downgrade: the active-shooter assessment was withdrawn and the campus declared safe after officers secured the scene.
This message lifts the active-shooter alarm but still asks people to avoid the concert area, marking the transition from emergency to investigation.
Context

Background

Livingstone College, an HBCU founded in 1879 in Salisbury, North Carolina, hosted a homecoming concert by rapper Asian Doll on the night of Saturday, October 15, 2022. Around 11 p.m. EDT, a verbal altercation between two non-students escalated and one or more shots were fired, wounding three people — none of them Livingstone students. Salisbury police initially reported an active shooter on campus before downgrading the assessment and declaring the campus safe. Livingstone posted updates on a dedicated homecoming-shooting incident page. Talib Latrell Kelly, 21, was charged with attempted first-degree murder, discharging a firearm on educational property, and possession of a firearm by a felon. The case shows the security challenge of large public events on small HBCU campuses, where attendees often include people from off campus.
Analysis

Key Findings

Police's initial active-shooter broadcast was later downgraded, a sequence that shaped how alerts moved from emergency shelter messaging to an investigation update
All three wounded were community members attending the concert, not Livingstone students, highlighting the risk profile of open campus events
One suspect, Talib Latrell Kelly, was charged with attempted first-degree murder and firearm-on-educational-property offenses
Outcome
Three people injured; the wounded were community members attending the concert, not Livingstone students. Talib Latrell Kelly, 21, was charged with attempted first-degree murder, discharging a firearm on educational property, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Homecoming Shooting Incident Updates
    livingstone.edu
  2. News
    Search continues for shooter after three shot, multiple injured at Livingstone College homecoming concert
    live5news.com
  3. News
    2 shot, others hurt during homecoming concert at Livingstone College
    spectrumlocalnews.com
  4. News
    Salisbury man charged for involvement in Livingstone College shooting
    qcitymetro.com
Tags
shootingnorth-carolinahbcuhomecomingactive-shooter-downgradesalisburyemergency-notification
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion