University on lockdown over ‘active shooting’ situation on campus
The motive for the shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which left one faculty member dead remains under investigation following the arrest of the suspected gunman.
On Monday, the UNC campus was rocked by an active shooting situation which plunged the area into lockdown from around 1pm ET.
Local law enforcement and UNC officials warned that “an armed and dangerous person” was on or near the campus before confirming that a faculty member was killed in the shooting.
An image of the suspect was circulated by officials before he was taken into custody around three hours later near a residential area 10 minutes away from campus. The weapon used in the shooting is yet to be recovered.
Neither the victim nor the suspect have been publicly identified by officials and it is not clear if the attack was targeted or random.
“The students are certainly traumatised,” UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin M Guskiewicz said. “But I want to commend those who were inside the building ensuring everyone’s safety.”
ICYMI: UNC faculty member confirmed dead as active shooter shuts down Chapel Hill school
A suspect is in custody, though police declined during a Monday evening press conference to name the man until formal charges have been issued.
“We are sure that it’s him,” UNC police chief Brian James said. “We were able to verify that.”
Josh Marcus29 August 2023 11:00
Motive remains unclear
The motive for the shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which left one faculty member dead remains under investigation following the arrest of the suspected gunman.
Officials confirmed that the suspect was taken into custody around three hours on from the shooting.
Neither the victim nor the suspect have been publicly identified by officials.
It is not clear if the attack was targeted or random and if the pair knew each other prior to the shooting.
Rachel Sharp29 August 2023 10:30
Suspect’s motive unclear in campus shooting, police say
Police were searching for both the weapon and the motive in a shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that left one faculty member dead and prompted an hours-long lockdown.
The assailant in Monday afternoon’s shooting at a science building in the heart of the flagship university’s campus was taken into custody about an hour and a half after the gunfire was first reported.
Neither the suspect nor the victim were immediately identified and it wasn’t clear whether they knew each other. Formal charges were pending.
“To actually have the suspect in custody gives us an opportunity to figure out the why and even the how, and also helps us to uncover a motive and really just why this happened today. Why today, why at all?” UNC Police Chief Brian James said.
“And we want to learn from this incident and we will certainly work to do our best to ensure that this never happens again on the UNC campus.”
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar29 August 2023 10:00
America is on pace for its worst year of mass shootings in a decade. What’s driving the record-breaking surge?
This year could be the worst for mass shootings in a decade, according to an analysis of Gun Violence Archive data by The Guardian.
Josh Marcus29 August 2023 09:30
America sets horrifying 17-year record for mass killings
The US saw more mass killings in the first half of this year than any other six-month period over the last 17 years, horrifying data shows.
There were more than 28 mass killings between 1 January and 30 June, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.
Previously, the record for a six-month period was 27 – which was set in the second half of 2022.
The database defines a mass killing as an incident where four or more people are killed, not including the attacker, within a 24-hour period.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar29 August 2023 09:00
Senator Thom Tillis calls shooting ‘heartbreaking’
“The scenes out of UNC-Chapel Hill are heartbreaking, and something that no student, teacher, or parent should ever have to live through,” said senator Thom Tillis.
“Susan and I mourn the innocent life taken. We must all continue to work together to protect our schools, confront the nation’s mental health crisis, and keep firearms out of the wrong hands.”
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar29 August 2023 08:30
Is gun violence worse in red states?
Democratic-led cities are frequently depicted as leading centres of gun violence, but that obscures the bigger picture: shooting deaths occur across the US – and red states have some of the worst records.
Josh Marcus29 August 2023 07:58
Everything we know about the shooting at UNC
A shooting on the campus of the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill killed a faculty member, according to the university.
“I am devastated by today’s shooting in one of our campus buildings, a place where we conduct our important work of teaching, mentoring, and research every day,” chancellor Kevin M Guskiewicz said in a statement on Monday.
“This shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted on our campus.”
Andrea Cavallier and Josh Marcus report.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar29 August 2023 07:30
North Carolina governor issues statement
North Carolina governor Roy Cooper yesterday issued a statement, calling the shooting incident a “tragic way to start a new semester”.
“My office is in communication with law enforcement and officials at UNC-Chapel Hill who are taking precautions to protect campus safety following today’s shooting,” he said in a statement shared on X, previously known as Twitter.
“This is a tragic way to start a new semester and the state will provide any assistance necessary to support the UNC community.”
In an additional statement, Mr Cooper said he spoke with Orange County sheriff Blackwood and Department of Public Safety Secretary Buffaloe and “pledged all state resources needed to capture the shooter and protect the UNC campus”.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar29 August 2023 07:00
