The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, after being on lockdown for more than two hours for reports of shots fired on campus, was cleared to resume normal activities after a suspect was taken into custody for shooting and killing a faculty member.
Shortly after 1 p.m., the school sent out an alert saying, “Emergency: Armed, dangerous person on or near campus. Go inside now; avoid windows.”
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UNC Police released a picture of a person of interest in today’s “armed and dangerous” situation. Police ask anyone who see the person to keep their distance put their safety first, and call 911 (UNC Police)
A local NBC station reported there was a massive presence of police and emergency vehicles near the Caudill Labs building on South Road.
There were earlier reports that a suspect was in custody, but at 2:35 p.m., UNC Police released an image of an Asian man in a gray shirt who was identified as a person of interest.
“This photo shows a person of interest in today’s armed and dangerous person situation. If you see this person, keep your distance, put your safety first and call 911,” the post read.
They asked anyone who sees the person of interest to keep their distance, put their safety first and call 911.
Alert Carolina sent a message just before 2:30 p.m. saying the suspect is still at large.
At 3:15 p.m., an alert went out saying all classes and UNC events have been canceled for the rest of the day.
Then, at 4:14 p.m., police gave the all clear.
“All clear. All clear,” a post on X from UNC Police read. “Resume normal activities.”
Another alert from UNC Police stated the Shelter in place was lifted, and advised to remain away from Caudil Labs.
A visual depiction of the distance between UNC at Chapel Hill’s Kenan Memorial Stadium and Caudill Labs. (Google Maps)
During a press conference on Monday evening, UNC Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz said the suspect had been apprehended by police.
Guskiewicz also said a faculty member was killed.
“I am grieved to report that one of our faculty members was killed in this shooting,” the chancellor said in a campus-wide message. “We are waiting for confirmation that the next of kin has been contacted before we share more information.”
The names of both the victim and the shooter were not released by police during the press conference.
UNC Police Chief Brian James said a 911 call came in at 1:02 p.m. for shots fired near the Caudill Laboratories on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. By 2:31, the suspect, according to James, was in custody.
UNC Police Chief Brian James provided an update on the shooting at UNC-Chapel Hill on Monday evening. (UNC-Chapel Hill Youtube)
The lockdown was not lifted for nearly an hour and 45 minutes after the suspect was apprehended because police needed to verify who he was, James explained.
He also said the firearm used in the shooting has not yet been located.
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools posted to Facebook that students and staff will continue to stay indoors until school officials receive an “all clear” message from authorities, as a safety precaution.
“For planning purposes, this means dismissal at all levels of school will be significantly delayed today,” the district said. “Once the ‘all clear’ is given, we’ll begin dismissing in the usual order, with elementary students first, followed by middle schools and high schools. We do not yet know what time it will be considered safe to dismiss students and staff during this ongoing situation.”
