Story highlights Relatives of Wayne Community College shooting victim say he was gay, local media report

The suspect had worked for the victim but was let go, college president says

The suspect, Kenneth Morgan Stancil III, was found sleeping on a Florida beach and arrested

(CNN) The killing of an employee at Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, North Carolina, may have been a hate crime, authorities said Tuesday.

Investigators are looking into the possibility, said Goldsboro police Sgt. Jeremy Sutton.

He did not explain what may have made it a hate crime. The victim -- Ron Lane, whom officials said was a longtime employee and the school's print shop operator -- was white, as is the suspect.

Lane's relatives said he was gay, CNN affiliate WNCN reported

Kenneth Morgan Stancil III was arrested just after 1 a.m., after he was found sleeping on the beach in Daytona, Goldsboro police said, about 550 miles (885 kilometers) from Goldsboro, North Carolina.

The suspect, Kenneth Morgan Stancil III, worked with Lane as part of a work-study program, but was let go from the program in early March due to poor attendance, college President Kay Albertson said Tuesday.