Student’s body found

WILMINGTON — Around 1:30 a.m. this morning, police found the body of 20-year-old Samuel Paul Flinn in front of a townhouse in the Carleton Place neighborhood near the UNCW campus.

Flinn was a student at East Carolina University and in town visiting friends. His friends wouldn’t give their names and declined to comment today.

Police say the victim’s death may have stemmed from an altercation involving several men.

They say no weapons were involved.

The exact cause of death will be determined by an autopsy scheduled for later this week. Meanwhile, Carleton Place residents are concerned.

“It’s a pretty ridiculous time to lose your life at 20 years old,” said neighbor Max Bobroff who is also twenty and a student at Cape Fear Community College. “So it’s a pretty traumatic experience for this neighborhood.”

UNCW sent an email out to its students, notifying them of the incident and assuring them the University community is not in danger.

Anyone with information about this incident should call Wilmington police at 343-3600.