GREENSBORO, N.C. — Homecoming is underway at North Carolina A&T State University and students and alumni alike are excited to come together and celebrate.
"I just love it, I love the energy, the band, just everything I love it, it's an experience," Asia Hardison said
"It's just been super special being with everybody and experiencing that comradery," Alsen Feastera said.
But their hearts are heavy, a shooting at an off-campus block party Tuesday night killed two people including Kaneycha Turner. Four others were hurt.
Turner's high school basketball coach remembers her fondly.
"She was very athletic, very coachable, she was well-liked among all of her players and students at Statesville high school," Greg Stewart said.
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan is condemning the acts of those responsible for the shooting, who is still on the loose. She stresses this incident does not reflect on 'GHOE' and the university as a whole.
"The sanctioned events that are associated with homecoming have not even started yet. These were started by other individuals who quite frankly acted very irresponsibly," Vaughan said.
Students on campus share that feeling.
"I don't want GHOE to seem like something that is violent because that's not the case at all we're out here trying to have a good time, experience our homecoming, and bring everybody together," Hardison said.
"There are tailgates, there are families around, friends from other colleges and stuff like that just coming to hang out with you. So it's just also a reminder that we should keep a positive note even though negative things are happening around us," Vanessa Dorvle said.
On some of those positive notes, the homecoming game and concert this weekend are sold out. Fans are coming out and staying in full force.
"We are definitely seeing a lot more reservations, we are already sold out for this weekend we've got staffing we are just ready to go," Priti Patel the General Manager at Hampton Inn and Suites said.
"It helps to fill the hotels that are downtown and it really just creates a really nice vibe in the downtown area for the weekend," Rob Overman with Downtown Greensboro Inc. said.
A Nike shoe designed by an NC A&T senior, Arial Robinson, is released just in time for homecoming. She says the university's student center was the inspiration for her grey design. It went on sale earlier this week.
A lot of excitement as this is the first NC A&T homecoming without Covid restrictions since the pandemic started.
"I came in during Covid so we really didn't have any of this for the past two years so this is a really great experience being able to talk to new people and interact to this extent," Whitney Willis said.