Incident at Chocowinity Barbering Program Site

No injuries resulted from an incident involving a student of the BCCC TFB&B Barber Academy located at 120 Cypress Way in Chocowinity. According to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, on February 1, 2023, the BC Sheriff’s Office received a report of a communicating threats at the barber academy located in the Cypress Commons Shopping Center located on Old Blount’s Creek Road in Chocowinity.

Deputies responded and began an investigation. During the investigation, Detectives learned there was a verbal altercation between an instructor and a student and that after leaving the parking lot, the student fired multiple shots from a handgun while traveling west on Old Blount’s Creek Road.

As a result of the investigation, Detectives charged Joseph McKinney, age 39, of Fowle Drive in Washington with one count of Possession of Firearm on School Grounds.

McKinney was taken into custody by Beaufort County Sheriff’s Deputies and taken before Magistrate Eric Holmes and held in the Beaufort County Detention Center under a $10,000.00 secured bond. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending.

The instructor had no prior concerns about the student. McKinney has been dismissed from the College and banned from all of BCCC's properties or locations where we contract to hold courses.

The BCCC TFB&B Barber Academy is a partnership between Beaufort County Community College and Tapers, Fades, Beards & Baldies. Since BCCC does not lease the building, it is the jurisdiction of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department.

BCCC is thankful to the instructor, who acted bravely and responsibly safeguard his students and to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office for helping to resolve the incident.