UNC Chapel Hill Shooting: A UNC faculty member was shot and killed, leading to a two-hour school lockdown. UNC Police Chief Brian James said the suspected shooter has been apprehended. At 4:14, the school received the all-clear. UNC Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz confirmed a shooting fatality but didn’t disclose the victim’s or the shooter’s identities.
Before 1 p.m., the university issued an emergency warning about an “armed, dangerous person on or near campus.” Near Caudill Labs on South Road, there were many police and emergency cars. At 2:35 p.m., UNC Police shared a picture of an Asian man in a gray shirt. The suspect was initially reported in custody, but a warning at 2:30 p.m. stated they were still at large. As of 3:15 p.m., all remaining classes and events were canceled.
James said that despite the suspect being caught at 2:31 p.m., security remained for an additional hour and 45 minutes to confirm the suspect’s identity. The gun used in the shooting hasn’t been found yet.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools delayed dismissals due to safety concerns. A UNC student, who wished to remain anonymous, told Fox News Digital that they heard a “big notification” and saw police “engage the slides on their AR-15s.”
This is the latest violent event at UNC in recent years. In 2019, two students died and four were injured in a shooting at UNC-Charlotte. In 2018, students removed a statue of Silent Sam, a Confederate soldier. In 2006, a former student drove an SUV into a meeting place, injuring nine people.
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NC Governor Roy Cooper, a UNC grad, said, “This is a tragic start to the semester.” He promised to use state resources to help UNC. The school is around 693 acres and has over 29,450 students.
Witnesses felt scared and powerless, like a father who had just dropped off his daughter for her freshman year. Laron Dowdell, a Duke University master’s degree student, expressed concern about a recent racially motivated shooting in Jacksonville, Florida.
Today’s events worsen UNC’s problems. After the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action, the university announced in June that it would no longer consider race in admissions or hiring.
The issue is still being investigated, and the UNC community remains shocked by this tragic event.