India, Nov. 8 -- Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) in North Carolina was placed under heightened security after reports of a possible shooting during its homecoming party on Saturday. Several social media posts claimed that gunfire broke out on or near the university campus, with reports of multiple victims and a possible lockdown.

The reports emerged during WSSU's homecoming celebrations, an annual event that attracts students, alumni and visitors to the historically Black university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Students and relatives posted messages online saying some people had been instructed to remain inside their rooms while security officials assessed the situation.

One user on Facebook, a parent of a student at the uni...