A tragic incident unfolded at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when a faculty member was fatally shot on Monday, according to local law enforcement. The incident occurred in the early afternoon at the Caudill Labs building, a central campus structure that houses the university’s chemistry department. UNC Police Chief Brian James confirmed the incident during a press briefing on Monday evening.
Upon receiving a 911 call about gunfire in the Caudill Labs building, police arrived on the scene to find a faculty member had been fatally shot. The identity of the victim has been withheld as authorities work to notify the family. The faculty member was the sole casualty of the incident, with no other injuries reported.
The police apprehended the suspect, Tailei Qi at 2:31 p.m in connection with the shooting alothough Qi was not immediately formally charged with the shooting. Following the arrest, a campus-wide lockdown remained in effect as police worked to confirm the suspect’s identity and locate the weapon used in the shooting, which has yet to be found.
Qi is a doctorate student and UNC and the connection between Qi and the victim is not known. The victim’s identity has not been released at this time.
The lockdown was lifted shortly after 4 p.m., although students were advised to stay away from the Caudill Labs building. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, with a thorough investigation expected to span several weeks.
UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz expressed his deep sorrow over the incident, stating that the shooting had shattered the sense of trust and safety often taken for granted on campus. Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger also expressed her heartbreak over the incident, noting the impact on the sense of safety for students, faculty, and staff.
In the wake of the incident, classes and campus events were canceled for the remainder of Monday and all of Tuesday. Other schools in the area were given the all-clear to dismiss students later in the afternoon.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has pledged all available state resources to assist in the investigation. The incident has left the university community in shock, with the motive and other details of the shooting still under investigation.