CHAPEL HILL, USA — A faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, UNC, was fatally shot on Monday, August 28, 2023, sending the campus of over 30,000 students into a lockdown for several hours.
The suspect has been taken into custody, but the weapon has not been found and the motive remains unknown.
The incident occurred at the school’s Caudill Laboratories, a building dedicated to chemistry studies.
University police detained the suspect about 90 minutes after the shooting.
However, authorities are still working on identifying both the victim and the suspect.
“It is too early in this investigation to know a motive for the shooting,” UNC Police Chief Brian James stated in a news conference on Monday. Detectives plan to speak with the suspect to gain further insights into the motive.
“Classes and campus activities were canceled for Monday and Tuesday,” officials announced.
The cancellation comes during the second week of fall semester classes at UNC, which is the flagship university of the 17-member UNC system.
An alert was issued shortly after 1 p.m. when 911 calls about the shooting came in.
Students were advised to take shelter, close windows and doors, and wait for further instructions, according to a university email.
Witness accounts describe a swift lockdown process, and footage from CNN affiliate WRAL showed a heavy police presence on campus.
UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz expressed his grief over the incident: “This loss is devastating, and the shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted in our campus community. We will work to rebuild that sense of trust and safety within our community.”
According to Chief James, it remains unclear whether the victim and the suspect knew each other.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities continue to search for the missing weapon and ascertain whether it was legally obtained.
The FBI is also assisting in evidence gathering.
The UNC Chapel Hill shooting is one of 49 school shootings to occur in the United States this year, according to a CNN tally—34 shootings were reported on K-12 campuses, and 15 have occurred on university and college campuses.
While students, faculty, and staff process the emotional impact of the shooting, law enforcement agencies are working tirelessly to establish the facts of the case and deliver justice for the victim.
With so many unanswered questions, the UNC campus remains on edge as it comes to terms with this violent episode.
