A North Carolina city councilman’s visit to his alma mater’s homecoming ended with an arrest after campus police accused him of carrying a concealed handgun on university property. Timothy Jerome “T.J.” Walker Jr., who represents Ward 4 on the Rocky Mount City Council, faces two weapons counts, including a felony. His secured bond was set at $10,000, which he posted Saturday, and the case remains pending in Durham County.
The arrest occurred Saturday while North Carolina Central University was holding its homecoming celebration in Durham. The day’s events included an afternoon football game between the NCCU Eagles and William & Mary at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium. Walker graduated from NCCU with a psychology degree before beginning his career in community engagement, ministry, and local government.
NCCU Campus Police took the 34-year-old councilman into custody and transported him to the Durham County Detention Facility. Court records placed Walker on university grounds with the weapon during the festivities. His first court appearance was scheduled for Thursday, October 15, at 8:45 a.m. in Durham County.
As WRAL reported, Walker was charged with possessing a firearm on educational property and carrying a concealed weapon. The educational-property count is a felony offense under North Carolina law. The arrest report identified North Carolina Central University Campus Police as the agency responsible for taking him into custody.
A magistrate’s order supplied more specific information about the firearm. WITN reported that court documents identified the weapon as a Glock 23 Gen 5 pistol. The order alleged that Walker carried the pistol on his person while on the NCCU campus and away from his own premises.
North Carolina’s General Statute 14-269.2 classifies knowingly carrying a firearm on educational property as a Class I felony. The law’s definition of educational property includes school buildings, campuses, grounds, recreational areas, and athletic fields. NCCU’s own weapons regulation applies to faculty, staff, students, and visitors and directs witnesses to report violations immediately to university police.
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This latest episode with Walker isn’t the first time that the university’s homecoming celebrations have been disrupted by firearms or firearm related issues. During the 2024 homecoming, NCCU police received a report of shots fired near the Debra Saunders-White Residence Hall and determined that three rounds had been fired into the air.
Officers later heard another burst of gunfire while clearing the campus, and four people, including an NCCU student, suffered non-life-threatening injuries near the Student Services Building. WRAL reported that suspect Jerrick Dennard Woods was subsequently arrested on charges including assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon, discharging a firearm on educational property, and possessing a gun on educational property.
Another shooting near NCCU renewed security concerns one month before Walker’s arrest. Two students suffered serious injuries when shots were fired from a passing vehicle near Concord and Dupree streets in September 2026, according to a separate WRAL report. The university responded by increasing patrols on and around the campus. Students then pressed Durham officials to take further action against gun violence ahead of the annual Aggie-Eagle Classic.
Walker is serving a four-year Ward 4 term that runs through 2027. His official city biography lists his work outside government as a community engagement coordinator and assistant pastor. The city says his stated goal in office is “to bridge generational and racial divide gaps through equality and social justice in local government.”
Rocky Mount acknowledged the arrest in a statement published by Charlotte Alerts News. “The matter will be addressed through the appropriate judicial process,” the city said. “The City remains focused on carrying out municipal operations and serving the residents of Rocky Mount.”
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