Man sentenced for ‘extremely violent’ shooting near UNC campus in Chapel Hill

Aaron Sánchez-Guerra

A Durham man will spend up to 23 years in prison for a shooting last year near the UNC campus.

Ronell Canion, 29, was convicted Wednesday of eight felony counts in Orange County Superior Court

  • Assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

  • Four counts of discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle resulting in serious injury.

  • Three counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle.

Canion fired gunshots at a house on Mason Farm Road in Chapel Hill just south of the university campus on April 2, 2023, seriously injuring one person. He was arrested by U.S. Marshals the following week.

Canion was sentenced to 18 years and 5 months up to 23 years and 2 months in prison for the crimes after a six-day trial, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

“This was an extremely violent shooting that endangered the life of not just his intended victim, who was seriously injured, but also dozens of innocent bystanders, including multiple children,” Orange and Chatham District Attorney Jeff Nieman said in a news release.

“Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for unintended victims to be shot and killed in crimes like this, particularly when someone brazenly opens fire in such a public place in broad daylight,” Nieman said.

Canion “showed no remorse for his actions” and tried to influence witnesses outside of court during his criminal trial, the district attorney said.

Nieman thanked UNC police investigators and said Assistant District Attorney Maren Hardin got reluctant witnesses to testify in court.

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