UNC lockdown - live: Suspect named after ‘armed’ person triggered alert on Chapel Hill campus

The University of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill campus was put on lockdown for the second time in two weeks after reports of an “armed and dangerous person”.

An alert was sent out at 12.54pm ET, asking students and staff to “go inside now” and to “avoid windows” because of the threat “on or near campus”. The all-clear was put out at 2.10pm.

No other official details have been provided on the alert. However, local TV station WRAL reported that police were on the lookout for a suspect involved in an incident at Alpine Bagel at the UNC Student Union after a person was seen with a firearm.

The news station reported that one person was eventually arrested just north of the campus.

This marks the second terrifying incident at the school in just over two weeks. On 28 August, the campus was on lockdown for hours amid reports of an “armed and dangerous person”.

That person was identified as Tailei Qi, a 34-year-old graduate student who allegedly shot and killed Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences.

Suspect has a ‘lengthy criminal history’ – reports

05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Mickel Deonte Harris, 27, was arrested on Wednesday on outstanding warrants related to a road rage incident on 5 September.

Authorities confirmed that Mr Harris was connected with the lockdown and gun scare at the University of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill campus.

He was arrested from the Greenfield Complex, located about 10 to 12 minutes away from the campus, ABC11 reported.

Mr Harris reportedly has a “lengthy criminal history” which dates back to at least 2013, the report said.

UNC Chapel Hill campus left eerily empty during lockdown

05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The University of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill campus was put on lockdown for the second time in two weeks after reports of an “armed and dangerous person.”

Video shows an empty campus and how some students dropped everything — including bags — and ran.

An alert was sent out at 12.54pm ET, asking students and staff to “go inside now” and to “avoid windows” because of the threat “on or near campus”.

UNC Chapel Hill campus left eerily empty as ‘armed’ person triggers lockdown

Lockdown came 24 hours after UNC students protested state gun laws

04:05 , Graeme Massie

The latest lockdown came just 24 hours after UNC students protested state gun laws at the State House in nearby Raleigh, chanting “Vote Them Out” towards the politicians present.

Just last month, Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences, was gunned down on the Chapel Hill campus.

UNC at Chapel Hill on partial lockdown till midnight

04:04 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The University of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill campus was put on a complete lockdown today until 5pm following reports of an “armed and dangerous person”.

From 5pm to midnight, the university said it would operate at a condition 2 status with classes cancelled and all non-mandatory operations suspended.

Latest alert comes two weeks after professor Zijie Yan shot on campus

02:03 , Graeme Massie

Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences and a researcher, was shot and killed last month on campus sparking an hours-long lockdown.

Mr Yan was listed as the academic adviser to alleged killer UNC PhD student Tailei Qi, 34, who was arrested in the shooting.

Before joining UNC in 2019, Mr Yan was an assistant professor at Clarkson University in New York and received postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago. The slain professor left behind two young daughters.

He was shot at Caudill Laboratory which is roughly a quarter-mile from the student union that houses Alpine Bagel Cafe where police have zeroed in on in the incident on Wednesday. Students were seen running from the student union, WRAL reported.

Read more:

Who was UNC Chapel Hill shooting victim Zijie Yan?

UNC chancellor reacts to campus incident

Thursday 14 September 2023 00:00 , Graeme Massie

“It’s sad and alarming that there have been two lockdowns over the past 16 days on our campus,” UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz told reporters. “We’ve had to apprehend individuals that have violated the safety of our community.”

Police investigating motive for campus incident

Wednesday 13 September 2023 23:01 , Graeme Massie

UNC Police Chief Brian James said authorities did not know Harris’s motive and were reviewing footage of the incident at a bagel store at the student union.

“We are exploring what their relationship was,” Chief James said of the suspect’s connection with the former Alpine Bagel Shop employee. “We believe there was some type of connection.”

Classes cancelled for remainder of day

Wednesday 13 September 2023 20:33 , Graeme Massie

UNC will cancel all classes for Wednesday, 13 September, according to an email sent to the university’s faculty, reported The Daily Tar Heel.

One person taken into custody, says report

Wednesday 13 September 2023 20:03 , Graeme Massie

Police have taken one person into custody on Formosa Lane in Chapel Hill, north of the UNC campus, reported WRAL.

UNC police advise students and staff to ‘silence phones’

Wednesday 13 September 2023 19:00 , Andrea Cavallier

Police on lookout for suspect involved in incident at Alpine Bagel

Wednesday 13 September 2023 18:46 , Andrea Cavallier

Police are on the lookout for a suspect involved in an incident at Alpine Bagel at the UNC Student Union after a person was seen with a firearm, according to WRAL.

Sources told the TV station that no shots have been fired.

Video from the scene showed law enforcement vehicles parked near the student union near the intersection of Stadium Drive and South Road, and audio of the sirens going off across the campus were posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools in ‘secure mode’

Wednesday 13 September 2023 18:42 , Andrea Cavallier

All Chapel Hill-Carrboro City schools have been advised to enter “Secure Mode” due to reports of an armed and dangerous person on or near the UNC campus.

This means the doors will be locked, people are not allowed in or out, and classroom instruction can continue normally inside, according to a tweet.

“Stay close to your phone & email for updates as we monitor this new & ongoing situation,” it advised.

UNC employee tweets taking cover in library following alert

Wednesday 13 September 2023 18:37 , Andrea Cavallier

UNC issues alert after reports of ‘armed and dangerous’ person on campus

Wednesday 13 September 2023 18:28 , Andrea Cavallier

A University of North Carolina campus alert was sent out at 12.54pm ET, asking students and staff to “go inside now” and to “avoid windows” because of the threat posed “on or near campus.”

The campus has been placed into lockdown over an “armed and dangerous person.”

UNC Media Relations said they have no additional information at this time.