A North Carolina city councilman is facing a felony gun charge after campus police arrested him at N.C. Central University’s homecoming.
Story Highlights
- Timothy “T.J.” Walker Jr., 34, who represents Ward 4 on the Rocky Mount City Council, was arrested on Saturday, Oct. 10, on the N.C. Central campus in Durham.
- Campus police accuse him of carrying a handgun on campus during homecoming festivities.
- He is charged with a felony for having a gun on educational property and a misdemeanor for carrying a concealed gun.
- A magistrate set a $10,000 secured bond and barred him from campus unless the university’s police chief allows it.
- His first court date is Thursday, Oct. 15, in Durham.
Arrest During Homecoming
Walker was charged because North Carolina law bans guns on school and college property, and campus police say he brought a pistol onto N.C. Central’s grounds during homecoming. Court records say the gun was a Glock 23 handgun. Walker has not commented publicly, and reporters who tried to reach him were not able to.
Walker is no stranger to the campus. He earned a psychology degree at N.C. Central and is a minister. He was first elected to the Rocky Mount council in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, and his term runs through 2027. He is the grandson of the late Rev. Thomas L. Walker, a Rocky Mount civil rights leader.
Charges, Bond And Court Date
The first charge is a felony for having a gun on educational property. Under state law it is a Class I felony, the lowest of North Carolina’s felony levels, but still a felony. The second charge, carrying a concealed gun, is a misdemeanor, a less serious crime.
A magistrate, the court officer who handles bail after an arrest, set a $10,000 secured bond. A secured bond means cash or property has to be put up before release. Walker was taken to the Durham County jail and posted bond the same day. As a condition of release, he may not return to N.C. Central’s campus unless the campus police chief says otherwise. He is due in a Durham courtroom at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15.
What The City Says
The City of Rocky Mount said it is aware of the arrest. It said it does not comment on pending legal cases involving individual elected officials and that the matter will go through the courts. N.C. Central has not released a statement.
Why This Case Matters
Homecoming draws big crowds of students, families and alumni, and the law against guns on campus exists to keep those crowds safe. Elected leaders are expected to know the rules and follow them, especially at a school they once attended.
Walker is accused, not convicted, and he will have his day in court. Gun owners who carry legally in other places should know that North Carolina’s ban on guns on school and college grounds is strict, with only narrow exceptions set by law. A carry permit does not, by itself, make a campus fair game.
Sources:
hoodline.com, wral.com, newsbreak.com, ground.news