It’s a day Dwight Black will never forget after the start of his workday ended with him running for his life to safety.
Black who’s a Winston-Salem employee is a Senior Equipment Operator who thought today was just going to be like any other. But as he swiped his card to get into the building for work his co-workers were running out.
“I was getting ready to go in when I swiped the door to come in. They ran past me and said, 'they were shooting, run.' So, I didn’t know exactly what was happening. I just kind of followed suit went with them until I got to a point that I could survey the area, see what was going on.”
Black said once he was able to get back from the building he heard gunshots.
“It didn’t feel real. Shocking, but no, it didn’t feel real. I was, I guess everybody, is pretty much personally affected but no, it didn’t feel real.”
Black said he’s now shocked, saddened and thinking of everyone impacted by the tragedy after two Winston-Salem workers were killed including the gunman in a workplace shooting.
It happened early Friday morning at the Joycelyn V. Johnson Municipal building on Lowery Street.
Winston-Salem Police Chief Catrina Thompson said, the suspected shooter, Steven Dewayne Haizlip, 61, targeted and killed longtime worker, Terry Lee Cobb, Jr. who was with city for 20 years. Winston-Salem Police Sgt. Cameron Sloan, a 22-year veteran on the force, was wounded in the shooting.
Police say Haizlip shot and killed Cobb inside. Police say when they got to the scene, Haizlip started firing, and officers fired back. Haizlip was killed during that shootout with police.
Another city worker was injured during the shooting. Winston-Salem Police identified that injured employee as 60-year-old Curtis Peterson. During a news conference Friday afternoon, police said he has serious, but non-life threatening injuries. Police said this Peterson wasn't the intended target, but rather "collateral damage" in the shooting.
Black said, “This is leaving me kind of numb at the time, at the moment. I just hope we can all get through this. It’s very sad.”
Black said he’s thinking about all those involved.
“I think everybody’s going to be impacted by this. You look at these same people every day and you don’t know what’s going on in their life and I still don’t."
Counselors will be provided to help workers cope with the shooting.
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