Another educational institution has fallen victim to gun violence and senseless school shootings. The number of cases increases by leaps and bounds daily with no end in sight. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the latest shooting victim.
The assailant shot and killed a faculty member in a laboratory at UNC on Monday. The tragedy occurred in the Caudill Labs building, which is close to the center of campus and houses the chemistry department.
Students barricaded themselves inside conference rooms, classrooms, bathrooms, and dorms to stay protected.
The police received a 911 call shortly after the building was infiltrated and, upon their arrival, found the body of the murdered faculty member. The suspect was arrested about 90 minutes after the call.
Who Is the UNC Shooter? Which Faculty Member was Killed?
According to Brian James, chief of the UNC Police, a suspect was taken into custody at 2:31 p.m. on Monday. However, the identity of the assailant has not been revealed yet. Formal charges on the suspect were not filed at the time of the news conference, and the name will be revealed only after the charges have been filed.
Neither a motive nor a weapon were identified at the time. James also declined to comment on the relationship between the victim and the suspect.
No details have been offered on the shot faculty member as the authorities are still in the process of contacting the victim’s family members.
The only fatality in the shooting was the faculty member, and no other injuries have been reported.
UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz commented, “I am devastated and saddened 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. This shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted on our campus.”
The sense of safety and calm was shattered on the UNC campus, and students and teachers alike have offered their condolences to the deceased faculty member.
Classes and other events were canceled for the rest of the day on campus as well as for the next day. Students were held back till 4 p.m., and at 4:14 p.m., the university ended the lockdown and declared it to be all clear.
