A Suspect Is Detained After Shooting at North Carolina University in Chapel Hill
A suspect is in custody after a shooting at North Carolina University in Chapel Hill on Monday afternoon. The incident left one faculty member dead and prompted students and others to take cover for hours as police searched for the gunman.
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| Two police officers move around a building on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, after a report of an “armed and dangerous person” on campus. (Photo: Kaitlin McKeown | The News & Observer via AP) |
Gunfire was reported at 1:02 p.m. local time at the school's Caudill Laboratory. "A suspect was taken into custody shortly after 2:30 p.m.," Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said at a news conference, reported by CNN, Tuesday, August 29, 2023.
Due to the Shooting Incident, classes and campus activities were canceled on Mondays and Tuesdays
The names of the victim and suspect were not immediately released. "It's too early to know the motive for the shooting," UNC Police Chief Brian James said.
"We want to find out the 'why' of this case and what caused it," James said.
The weapon used in the shooting has not been found, he added.
"This loss is deeply saddening and this shooting undermines the trust and safety we often take for granted in the campus community. We will work to rebuild trust and security in our community," Guskiewicz said.
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The school had issued a warning to students asking them to shelter in place at around 1 p.m., later adding that a suspect was still at large.
The university then issued a statement saying "everything is safe" in the afternoon.
Classes and campus activities are canceled on Mondays and Tuesdays.
During the standby period, university police advised students to go inside immediately, close windows and doors, and wait until further notice. A witness on campus said they were locked inside the building and saw armed officers searching the campus.
Video from WRAL in Chapel Hill shows a large number of police vehicles on campus with emergency lights on. Occasionally, people walked out of nearby buildings in a row with their hands raised.
A WRAL reporter also recorded video of campus police surrounding a handcuffed person who appeared to be wearing a dark shirt jeans and glasses while school was on lockdown.
This is the second week of the autumn semester at school. The university has a student population of around 32,000 people, as well as more than 4,000 lecturers and 9,000 staff members.