UNC shooting – latest: Suspect Tailei Qi faces court as online posts before Chapel Hill attack revealed

A graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been charged with the murder of a faculty member following the deadly shooting on Monday.

Tailei Qi, a PhD student majoring in applied physical sciences major, was arrested and booked into Orange County Sheriff’s Office jail on a first-degree murder charge. He was ordered held without bond on Tuesday and is expected to reappear in court on 18 September.

The faculty member killed in the shooting was identified by UNC officials as Zijie Yan, the head of the Department of Applied Sciences and Mr Qi’s academic adviser.

The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Authorities said during Mr Qi’s court hearing that a 9mm was used in the shooting.

“[Mr Yan] was a beloved colleague, mentor and friend to many on our campus. My leadership team and I have met with his colleagues and family to express our condolences on behalf of our campus,” UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin M Guskiewicz said in a statement.

“Please join me in thinking and praying for his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

The chancellor said students were “traumatised” following the shooting on Monday that prompted a three-hour lockdown.

Key Points

• UNC faculty member killed in shooting at Chapel Hill campus

• Motive for attack remains unclear

• All classes and non-mandatory operations suspended for Tuesday

• Student describes knowing shooting suspect: ‘He seemed very nice’

• ‘Too early’ to know how suspect got gun or what caused shooting

WATCH: UNC shooting suspect arrested after one faculty member confirmed dead

06:00 , Andrea Blanco

Authorities probe motive behind shooting

05:00 , Andrea Blanco

Police were searching for both the weapon and the motive in a shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that left one faculty member dead and prompted an hours-long lockdown amid a search for the suspect.

The assailant in Monday afternoon’s shooting at a science building in the heart of the flagship university’s campus was taken into custody about an hour and a half after the gunfire was first reported, officials said at a news conference. Neither the suspect nor the victim were immediately identified and it wasn’t clear whether they knew each other. Formal charges were pending.

“To actually have the suspect in custody gives us an opportunity to figure out the why and even the how, and also helps us to uncover a motive and really just why this happened today. Why today, why at all?” UNC Police Chief Brian James said. “And we want to learn from this incident and we will certainly work to do our best to ensure that this never happens again on the UNC campus.”

He moaned about work, ‘bullies’ and his head of lab online. Then police say he shot dead a UNC faculty member

04:00 , Andrea Blanco

The well-educated graduate student – who previously studied at both Wuhan University and Louisiana State University – complained about bullies, aired his grievances with some “girls and tattletales” and grumbled about his head of lab.

“Bully in america seems to be a problem. It often comes with people not stopping them at the first time,” he wrote in one post in August 2022.

But – despite the complaints – the messages could not prepare anyone for the horror of what happened next.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

What we know about UNC shooting suspect Tailei Qi

ICYMI: Shooting at UNC at Chapel Hill leaves one dead

02:00 , Andrea Blanco

UNC police had issued an alert about an active shooting situation at the campus shortly after 1pm on Monday, following reports of shots being fired in the science building.

Students were ordered to shelter in place and barricade themselves inside lecture halls amid the active situation.

Footage shared online shows desperate students and faculty members jumping from windows or hunkering down in classrooms as the UNC Police, FBI, ATF and SWAT teams canvassed the campus for the shooter.

Nearly an hour and a half into the ordeal, UNC police released a photo of a person of interest and asked the public to call 911 and proceed with caution if they spotted the individual. A name was not released but the photo released by authorities matched the one on Mr Qi’s UNC profile page.

Mr Qi was then arrested near a residential area two miles from campus on Williams Circle and the shelter-in-place order was lifted at around 4.30pm.

At a press conference later that evening, UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and UNC Police Chief Brian James confirmed one faculty member had been killed.

UNC Chapel Hill shooting victim identified as associate professor Zijie Yan

01:00 , Andrea Blanco

UNC PhD student Tailei Qi, 34, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing of Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences and a researcher. Mr Yan was listed as his alleged killer’s academic advisor on Mr Qi’s UNC profile, which has since been removed from the university’s website.

Yan joined UNC in 2019. Before that, he was an assistant professor at Clarkson University in New York and received postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago.

Read more:

UNC Chapel Hill shooting victim identified as associate professor Zijie Yan

Alleged UNC shooter is well-educated researcher who was described as ‘very quiet’ by former classmate

Wednesday 30 August 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco

According to his LinkedIn page, Mr Qi graduated from Wuhan University in 2015 and also received a master’s in material science from Lousiana State University in 2021.

Mr Qi then joined UNC at Chapel Hill’s Yan Lab in 2022, with his profile page on the university’s website taken down by Tuesday morning.

The suspect worked as a researcher in China before pursuing a doctoral career in America.

UNC graduate student Aiden Scott, a former classmate of Mr Qi, described him as “very quiet” but “nice.”

“I would have never guessed that he would be the kind of person who could possibly be capable of this kind of thing,” Mr Scott told WRAL. “Every single time he would talk to me, he seemed very nice... when I saw his face in the reports online, I was beyond shocked,”

UNC Chapel Hill graduate student Tailei Qi charged with murder in shooting of faculty member

Tuesday 29 August 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco

A graduate student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill has been charged with first-degree murder over the on-campus shooting that left one faculty member dead.

Tailei Qi, a second-year PhD student majoring in applied physical sciences, has been charged with the fatal shooting of his academic advisor, Zijie Yan. Mr Qi is facing charges of first-degree murder and carrying a weapon while on campus.

Read more:

UNC Chapel Hill graduate student Tailei Qi charged in shooting of faculty member

WATCH: Graduate student charged in UNC Chapel Hill murder

Tuesday 29 August 2023 21:22 , Andrea Blanco

PICTURED: UNC shooting suspect Tailei Qi appears in court

Tuesday 29 August 2023 21:02 , Andrea Blanco

Alleged shooter Tailei Qi appears in court

Tuesday 29 August 2023 20:42 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Qi appeared in court on Tuesday and was officially charged with the first-degree murder of his academic advisor Dr Zijie Yan.

The alleged shooter was ordered held without bail and had an interpreter explain the proceedings to him in Mandarin.

Mr Qi, a PhD student at UNC at Chapel Hill, is scheduled to appear in court again on 18 September.

Tailei Qi’s ranting posts on X

Tuesday 29 August 2023 20:40 , Andrea Blanco

Victim was suspect academic advisor

Tuesday 29 August 2023 20:20 , Andrea Blanco

The victim was identified on Tuesday as Dr Zijie Yan as officials said that they needed to first notify next of kin.

Yan is believed to be the very same lead faculty member that the suspect railed against online, as Mr Qi’s head of lab.

Yan led the Yan Research Group, which Qi joined last year, after joining the Chapel Hill faculty in 2019, according to the group’s UNC webpage.

Prior to this he earned his PhD in materials engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York before working as an assistant professor at Clarkson University.

While the victim and suspect’s connection is now clear, the motive remains under investigation.

“To actually have the suspect in custody gives us an opportunity to figure out the why and even the how, and also helps us to uncover a motive and really just why this happened today. Why today, why at all?” UNC Police Chief Brian James said on Monday.

“And we want to learn from this incident and we will certainly work to do our best to ensure that this never happens again on the UNC campus.”

UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin M Guskiewicz said in a statement that a hotline and other mental health resources were on offer for staff and students affected by the shooting.

“The students are certainly traumatised,” he said.

“But I want to commend those who were inside the building ensuring everyone’s safety.”

Classes have been canceled through Tuesday following the deadly shooting.

“Due to today’s incident on campus, UNC-Chapel Hill will operate at a Condition 2 on Tuesday, Aug. 29. This means that classes are canceled, and non-mandatory operations are suspended,” the UNC said in an update.

Who is UNC shooting suspect Tailei Qi?

Tuesday 29 August 2023 20:00 , Andrea Blanco

The suspect was identified on Tuesday as Tailei Qi, a graduate student who joined the Yan Lab of the college in 2022.

Based on his online bio at the UNC, he studied under Dr Zijie Yan – the leader of the physical chemistry group the Yan Research Group and head of the Department of Applied Physical Sciences.

Before joining UNC, Mr Qi previously studied material science at Louisiana State University and physics at Wuhan University.

A Twitter account believed to belong to Mr Qi reveals that he had railed against his work and his head of lab as well as what he described as “bullies” in the US before allegedly carrying out the shooting.

In a post on 1 August 2022, he wrote: “Bully in america seems to be a problem. It often comes with people not stopping them at the first time.

“Explanation is not a solution but makes them feel others will plead them every time they raise a problem, making them voyeur to find an excuse day and night.”

Two weeks later on 18 August 2022, he tweeted about his “PI” – referring to his unnamed head of lab – handling “these girls and tattletales”.

“Just have a talk with my PI and get his promise. He should have more experience to handle with these girls and tattletales,” he wrote.

“Then, we can just get ourselves out of these stupid topic. Let’s just focus our attention on nature.I won’t change anything if not necessary.”

A new college term, a faculty member killed and a student arrested: What we know about the UNC shooting

Tuesday 29 August 2023 19:40 , Andrea Blanco

Tailei Qi shared several cryptic posts online after joining the University of North Carolina in 2022.

The well-educated graduate student – who previously studied at both Wuhan University and Louisiana State University – complained about bullies, aired his grievances with some “girls and tattletales” and grumbled about his head of lab.

What we know about UNC shooting suspect Tailei Qi

WATCH: UNC faculty member dead after shooting on Chapel Hill campus

Tuesday 29 August 2023 19:13 , Andrea Blanco

University chancellor has met with slain professor’s family

Tuesday 29 August 2023 18:46 , Andrea Blanco

UNC at Chapel Hill Kevin M Guskiewicz said in a statement on Tuesday that he has met with the family of slain assistant professor Zajie Yan.

“My leadership team and I have met with his colleagues and family to express our condolences on behalf of our campus,” the statement read. “Please join me in thinking and praying for his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

UNC Chapel Hill shooting victim identified as associate professor Zijie Yan

Tuesday 29 August 2023 18:26 , Andrea Blanco

UNC PhD student Tailei Qi, 34, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing of Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences and a researcher.

Mr Yan was listed as his alleged killer’s academic advisor on Mr Qi’s UNC profile, which has since been removed from the university’s website.

Victim’s alma mater shares tribute

Tuesday 29 August 2023 17:52 , Andrea Blanco

Slain UNC assistant professor Zijie Yan studied undergrad at the Hauzhong University of Science and Technology, where he obtained his bachelor’s in material science and engineering and computer science in 2005, the NC Newsline reports.

The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where Yan got his master’s in physics electronics, posted a tribute on Tuesday.

“He is remembered fondly by many of us that met him in the classroom, lab, or in the hallway of MRC,” a Facebook post read. “Among other things, he distinguished himself with publishing 17 journal articles in the course of his PhD study...”

He moaned about work, ‘bullies’ and his head of lab online. Then police say he shot dead a UNC faculty member

Tuesday 29 August 2023 17:25 , Andrea Blanco

Just days into the second term of his PhD studies, Tailei Qi allegedly entered the science lab at the UNC’s Chapel Hill campus and shot a faculty member dead.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

What we know about UNC shooting suspect Tailei Qi

Suspect described as ‘very quiet’ by former classmate

Tuesday 29 August 2023 17:18 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Qi, a second-year PhD student majoring in applied physical sciences, graduated from Wuhan University in 2015 and also received a master’s in material science from Lousiana State University in 2021. The suspect joined UNC at Chapel Hill’s Yan Lab in 2022.

UNC graduate student Aiden Scott, a former classmate of Mr Qi, described him as “very quiet” but “nice.”

“I would have never guessed that he would be the kind of person who could possibly be capable of this kind of thing,” Mr Scott told WRAL. “Every single time he would talk to me, he seemed very nice... when I saw his face in the reports online, I was beyond shocked,”

UNC Chapel Hill shooting victim identified as associate professor Zijie Yan

Tuesday 29 August 2023 16:48 , Andrea Blanco

Authorities have identified the fatal victim in Monday’s shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

UNC PhD student Tailei Qi has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing of Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the department of applied physical Sciences and researcher who also served as Qi’s adviser, according to the university’s website.

Mr Qi is expected to appear in court later on Tuesday.

UNC students captured jumping from windows in heartwrenching videos during active shooter situation

Tuesday 29 August 2023 16:05 , Andrea Blanco

Heartwrenching videos show students hiding under desks and jumping from classroom windows during an active shooter situation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The campus was placed on lockdown for several hours on Monday afternoon after an alert went out about an “armed person”. Police later confirmed one member of the faculty was killed and a suspect, identified as graduate student Tailei Qi, was taken into custody.

The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander reports:

Videos show students jumping from windows and hiding under desks during UNC shooting

Tailei Qi complained about ‘bullies’, his PI and hard work on social media

Tuesday 29 August 2023 15:45 , Rachel Sharp

A Twitter account believed to belong to Tailei Qi reveals that he had railed against his work and his head of lab as well as what he described as “bullies” in the US before allegedly carrying out the shooting.

In a post on 1 August 2022, he wrote: “Bully in america seems to be a problem. It often comes with people not stopping them at the first time.

“Explanation is not a solution but makes them feel others will plead them every time they raise a problem, making them voyeur to find an excuse day and night.”

Two weeks later on 18 August 2022, he tweeted about his “PI” – referring to his unnamed head of lab – handling “these girls and tattletales”.

“Just have a talk with my PI and get his promise. He should have more experience to handle with these girls and tattletales,” he wrote.

“Then, we can just get ourselves out of these stupid topic. Let’s just focus our attention on nature.I won’t change anything if not necessary.”

Two months later in October, he referred to his PI again and an unidentified “group of people”.

“Both the group of people to say I am lazy and that to prove me working hard instead of telling me that are trying to consume my privacy. I judge their motivation is only to tell my PI then control me by taletelling,” he tweeted.

“But it’s weird when I talked about it with my PI, he said no people spoke to him about that. so it’s nothing but some voyeurism for these people?”

In other posts, Mr Qi addressed a mystery woman who he vowed to “just let her go” and his exhaustion with his workload.

“I used to walk 80+ hours per week and I feel relaxing and energetic. Now I only work 60+ hours per week and I feel tired,” he wrote in one.

The Twitter account has the same name and the same image as both Mr Qi’s bio and the person of interest sent out by police during the brief manhunt.

It describes him as “Graduate student @UNC, engaged in light-matter interaction and related materials”.

In one post in early August – just weeks before the shooting – he issued an appeal to meet people at the college.

“I would like to make some new friends. I am a second-year PhD student, interested in nanoparticle synthesis, optical trapping, self-assembly, spectra analysis, and ML,” he said. “a bit stupid in daily trifles, very enthusiastic talking about research. Reach me if inerest.”

PICTURED: Tailei Qi in mugshot

Tuesday 29 August 2023 15:25 , Rachel Sharp

BREAKING: Tailei Qi charged with murder over faculty member shooting

Tuesday 29 August 2023 15:10 , Rachel Sharp

UNC at Chapel Hill graduate student Tailei Qi has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the on-campus shooting on Monday that left one faculty member dead.

Mr Qi, an applied physical sciences major, was not officially identified by university officials and law enforcement on Monday but was named in court documents obtained by NBC. His profile page on the university’s website was taken down as of Tuesday morning.

The fatal victim remains unidentified pending family notification, authorities said.

Read the story here:

UNC Chapel Hill graduate student Tailei Qi charged in shooting of faculty member

Suspect identified as graduate student Tailei Qi

Tuesday 29 August 2023 15:00 , Rachel Sharp

The suspect in the University of North Carolina shooting has been identified as graduate student Tailei Qi.

Mr Qi is a PhD student majoring in applied physical sciences major.

He was arrested on Monday afternoon and booked into Orange County Sheriff’s Office jail.

The victim has not yet been publicly identified pending the notification of next of kin. The motive for the shooting also remains unclear.

Motive remains unclear, police say

Tuesday 29 August 2023 14:20 , Andrea Blanco

Police were searching for both the weapon and the motive in a shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that left one faculty member dead and prompted an hours-long lockdown amid a search for the suspect.

The assailant in Monday afternoon’s shooting at a science building in the heart of the flagship university’s campus was taken into custody about an hour and a half after the gunfire was first reported, officials said at a news conference.

Neither the suspect nor the victim were immediately identified and it wasn’t clear whether they knew each other. Formal charges were pending.

“To actually have the suspect in custody gives us an opportunity to figure out the why and even the how, and also helps us to uncover a motive and really just why this happened today. Why today, why at all?” UNC Police Chief Brian James said. “And we want to learn from this incident and we will certainly work to do our best to ensure that this never happens again on the UNC campus.”

Classes cancelled at UNC on Tuesday

Tuesday 29 August 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Classes have been cancelled at the UNC Chapel Hill campus on Tuesday following the deadly shooting at a science lab on Monday.

The UNC said in an update: “Due to today’s incident on campus, UNC-Chapel Hill will operate at a Condition 2 on Tuesday, Aug. 29. This means that classes are canceled, and non-mandatory operations are suspended.

“More information and details about Condition 2 can be found on the Adverse Weather & Emergency Closing webpage. This will be in place until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29. The University will provide more information tomorrow. For updates on alerts, visit alertcarolina.unc.edu.”

Who is the suspect?

Tuesday 29 August 2023 13:40 , Rachel Sharp

Neither the victim nor the suspect have been publicly identified by officials.

It is not clear if they knew each other prior to the shooting or if the attack was targeted or random.

At a press conference on Monday evening, police would not confirm whether or not the person arrested was the same man who was identified as a person of interest earlier in the day.

Instead, police said that they would release the suspect’s identity once charges had been filed. The victim’s identity will also be released once next of kin is identified.

The motive also remains unknown at this time.

Shooting comes four years after attack on other UNC campus

Tuesday 29 August 2023 13:20 , Rachel Sharp

The horror attack at the UNC campus at Chapel Hill was a somewhat familiar sight for the college community coming four years after a mass shooting over at the Charlotte campus.

Back on 30 April 2019 – onthe last day of the spring semester classes – two people were killed and four injured in a mass shooting inside a classroom in the Woodford A. Kennedy Building.

The gunman – identified as former UNCC student Trystan Andrew Terrell – was arrested soon after.

In September 2019, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced life without the possibility of parole.

WATCH: UNC shooting suspect arrested after one faculty member confirmed dead

Tuesday 29 August 2023 13:00 , Josh Marcus

Police arrested a suspected campus shooter on Monday in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Officials gave a public update on Monday evening.

Watch below.

A new college term, a faculty member killed and a suspect arrested: What we know about the UNC shooting

Tuesday 29 August 2023 12:37 , Rachel Sharp

A college campus in North Carolina is waking up on Tuesday gripped by fear, grief and many unanswered questions.

Just days into the start of a new term, students and faculty members at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found themselves hunkering down inside classrooms and leaping from first floor windows as an active shooting situation unfolded on site.

Inside the science building, a faculty member was found shot dead.

Following a brief moment where the wrong person was arrested – an unsuspecting individual who missed the shelter-in-place alerts – campus police confirmed that the suspect had been taken into custody around 10 minutes from the scene.

Harrowingly, the horror was a somewhat familiar sight for the UNC community coming four years after a mass shooting at the Charlotte campus left two dead and four injured.

Officials are yet to release the identities of both the suspect and the victim in this latest attack, with much of the details of what happened and why still unclear.

Here’s what we do know so far about the shooting:

What we know about the UNC campus shooting that killed faculty member

WATCH: Jacksonville police identify suspect in deadly shooting

Tuesday 29 August 2023 11:50 , Rachel Sharp

Read the UNC chancellor’s message in full

Tuesday 29 August 2023 11:30 , Rachel Sharp

Dear Carolina Community,

This afternoon at 1:02 p.m., UNC Police were notified of shots fired in Caudill Laboratories on our campus. At approximately 2:30 p.m., the suspect was apprehended and is now in custody. Police issued an “all clear” to campus at approximately 4:15 p.m. There is no longer an immediate threat. UNC Police are working closely with Chapel Hill Police Department to gather information and continue their thorough and professional response.

I am grieved to report that one of our faculty members was killed in this shooting. We are waiting for confirmation that the next of kin has been contacted before we share more information.

I am devastated and saddened by today’s shooting in one of our campus buildings, a place where we conduct our important work of teaching, mentoring and research every day. This shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted on our campus. We will work to rebuild that trust and safety. Our hearts are with the family of our fellow faculty member, those who are personally connected to the victim and those traumatized by this senseless act of violence.

In response, we have canceled classes and all campus events for the rest of the day on Monday, Aug. 28 and Tuesday, Aug. 29. The campus is moving to Condition 2 until midnight tomorrow.

Please know that support is available and these departments stand ready to help. Students, including graduate and professional students and postdocs, please contact the Dean of Students team or Counseling and Psychological Services. For urgent concerns, please call 919-966-3658, the emergency protocol line. Faculty and staff should reach out to the Employee Assistance Program. More information will be provided on additional counseling services and opportunities to grieve and process.

I am grateful to our Emergency Operations Center and UNC Police for effectively managing this situation and to our faculty, staff and students for their cooperation to ensure the safety of our campus community. I am praying for the victim, their family and every member of the Carolina community. We will send more details and information as soon as we are able.

Sincerely,

Kevin M. GuskiewiczChancellor

ICYMI: UNC faculty member confirmed dead as active shooter shuts down Chapel Hill school

Tuesday 29 August 2023 11:00 , Josh Marcus

A shooting Monday on the campus of the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill killed a faculty member, according to the university.

A suspect is in custody, though police declined during a Monday evening press conference to name the man until formal charges have been issued.

“We are sure that it’s him,” UNC police chief Brian James said. “We were able to verify that.”

UNC faculty member confirmed dead as active shooter shuts down Chapel Hill school

Motive remains unclear

Tuesday 29 August 2023 10:30 , Rachel Sharp

The motive for the shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which left one faculty member dead remains under investigation following the arrest of the suspected gunman.

Officials confirmed that the suspect was taken into custody around three hours on from the shooting.

Neither the victim nor the suspect have been publicly identified by officials.

It is not clear if the attack was targeted or random and if the pair knew each other prior to the shooting.

Suspect's motive unclear in campus shooting, police say

Tuesday 29 August 2023 10:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Police were searching for both the weapon and the motive in a shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that left one faculty member dead and prompted an hours-long lockdown.

The assailant in Monday afternoon’s shooting at a science building in the heart of the flagship university’s campus was taken into custody about an hour and a half after the gunfire was first reported.

Neither the suspect nor the victim were immediately identified and it wasn’t clear whether they knew each other. Formal charges were pending.

“To actually have the suspect in custody gives us an opportunity to figure out the why and even the how, and also helps us to uncover a motive and really just why this happened today. Why today, why at all?” UNC Police Chief Brian James said.

“And we want to learn from this incident and we will certainly work to do our best to ensure that this never happens again on the UNC campus.”

America is on pace for its worst year of mass shootings in a decade. What’s driving the record-breaking surge?

Tuesday 29 August 2023 09:30 , Josh Marcus

Even for a country with more guns than people, the level of mass shootings in the US in 2023 has been shocking. The incidents have ranged from campus shootings, like a massacre inside a Nashville elementary school that killed six in March, to a mass shooting at a mall in Texas this month that killed eight, carried out by a neo-Nazi.

This year could be the worst for mass shootings in a decade, according to an analysis of Gun Violence Archive data by The Guardian.

What’s driving America’s record-breaking surge in mass shootings?

America sets horrifying 17-year record for mass killings

Tuesday 29 August 2023 09:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The US saw more mass killings in the first half of this year than any other six-month period over the last 17 years, horrifying data shows.

There were more than 28 mass killings between 1 January and 30 June, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.

Previously, the record for a six-month period was 27 – which was set in the second half of 2022.

The database defines a mass killing as an incident where four or more people are killed, not including the attacker, within a 24-hour period.

Ariana Baio reports.

America sets horrifying 17-year record for mass killings

Senator Thom Tillis calls shooting ‘heartbreaking’

Tuesday 29 August 2023 08:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

“The scenes out of UNC-Chapel Hill are heartbreaking, and something that no student, teacher, or parent should ever have to live through,” said senator Thom Tillis.

“Susan and I mourn the innocent life taken. We must all continue to work together to protect our schools, confront the nation’s mental health crisis, and keep firearms out of the wrong hands.”

Is gun violence worse in red states?

Tuesday 29 August 2023 07:58 , Josh Marcus

Democratic-led cities are frequently depicted as leading centres of gun violence, but that obscures the bigger picture: shooting deaths occur across the US – and red states have some of the worst records.

GOP says gun violence mostly happens in Democratic cities – the figures disagree

Everything we know about the shooting at UNC

Tuesday 29 August 2023 07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A shooting on the campus of the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill killed a faculty member, according to the university.

“I am devastated by today’s shooting in one of our campus buildings, a place where we conduct our important work of teaching, mentoring, and research every day,” chancellor Kevin M Guskiewicz said in a statement on Monday.

“This shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted on our campus.”

Andrea Cavallier and Josh Marcus report.

UNC faculty member confirmed dead as active shooter shuts down Chapel Hill school

North Carolina governor issues statement

Tuesday 29 August 2023 07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

North Carolina governor Roy Cooper yesterday issued a statement, calling the shooting incident a “tragic way to start a new semester”.

“My office is in communication with law enforcement and officials at UNC-Chapel Hill who are taking precautions to protect campus safety following today’s shooting,” he said in a statement shared on X, previously known as Twitter.

“This is a tragic way to start a new semester and the state will provide any assistance necessary to support the UNC community.”

In an additional statement, Mr Cooper said he spoke with Orange County sheriff Blackwood and Department of Public Safety Secretary Buffaloe and “pledged all state resources needed to capture the shooter and protect the UNC campus”.

America’s gun violence epidemic continues

Tuesday 29 August 2023 06:30 , Josh Marcus

Monday’s campus shooting at the University of North Carolina added another name to the more than 28,000 people who have died because of gun violence in the US this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.

Students crowded in gym locker rooms to stay safe

Tuesday 29 August 2023 06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

After the university went into lockdown, students crowded gym locker rooms away from windows in order to stay safe.

Adrian Lanier, a sophomore computer science major, said he and others sat against a wall in a gym, trying to stay as far away as possible from doors and windows as rumors spread.

“No one really felt safe enough to leave. I didn’t,” Mr Lanier told Associated Press.

Oliver Katz, an exchange student from Copenhagen Business School in Denmark, said some students crowded into gym locker rooms to get away from windows while others crouched in corners and sat on the floor.

“This never happens where I’m from,” Mr Katz said.

“It was intense. But I was a little surprised that other people weren’t panicking that much.”Mr Katz, who has only been on campus for two weeks, said he’s worried his home university will bring the exchange students back early.

“I don’t want to leave. I like it here, and I do still feel safe.”

Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz apologised to students who are “feeling uncertain about your safety right now”.

This is the second week of the fall semester at the college.

All classes cancelled for Tuesday

Tuesday 29 August 2023 05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has cancelled all classes for today following the killing of a faculty member on campus.

All non-mandatory operations have been suspended as well, the university said in a statement.“Due to today’s incident on campus, UNC-Chapel Hill will operate at a Condition 2 on Tuesday,” the statement read.

“Condition 2” – which is one level short of a complete campus closure – will remain in place until 11.59pm on 29 August, the university said.

What comes next for the UNC shooting investigation?

Tuesday 29 August 2023 04:55 , Josh Marcus

Police have apprehended a suspect in Monday’s UNC shooting, but that’s only the beginning.

Officials have yet to name the man or levy any official charges in the incident, which left one faculty member dead.

“We are looking for a firearm. It is too early to determine if the firearm was legally obtained, and we’re not prepared at this time to what kind of weapon it was,” UNC police chief Brian James said in a press conference on Monday.

Students and staff barricaded themselves for three hours

Tuesday 29 August 2023 04:28 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A gunman killed a faculty member in a science building at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, forcing the college to temporarily go into a lockdown.

Police arrested the suspect over three hours after the initial reports of shots fired came in from Caudill Labs, officials said at a news conference.

Emergency sirens were sounded about two minutes after a 911 caller reported gunfire around 1pm at the laboratory in the heart of the flagship campus.

The students and faculty members reportedly barricaded themselves in dorm rooms, offices and classrooms until the lockdown was lifted around 4.15pm.

“This loss is devastating, and the shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted in our campus community,” chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said.

WATCH: Students jump out of windows to flee UNC shooting

Tuesday 29 August 2023 03:30 , Josh Marcus

Students went so far as to jump out of windows to flee an active shooter on the campus of the University of North Carolina.

WRAL captured the chaos in this video.

Student describes chaos of shooting at UNC

Tuesday 29 August 2023 02:37 , Josh Marcus

A shooting on the campus of the University of North Carolina set off chaos as students sought to flee after getting an emergency alert on their phones.“I rushed outside assuming that would be the best location since they would most likely target larger crowds since I was in a large lecture of maybe 250–300 people,” one student told Fox News. “Once I went outside, I saw people running in the direction of the Genome Science building. I decided to take the corner and investigate to see what was going on.

“One of my friends worked with him in the chemistry lab. However, he graduated this past year and was not [there]. Overall, it was extremely unexpected. I would always see stuff in the news but never expected to see things like this in person first-hand taking place,” the student added.