Carolina experienced its second lockdown this semester when an armed suspect entered the campus. Thankfully, the incident on September 13 was resolved quickly and without any injuries, unlike the tragic shooting on August 28 that resulted in the death of faculty member Zijie Yan.
Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz expressed his concern, stating, “It’s sad and alarming that there have now been two lockdowns over the last 16 days on our campus where we have had to apprehend individuals who have violated the safety and well-being of our community.” He made this statement during a media conference in Gerrard Hall on September 13.
The incident on September 13 occurred when UNC Police received a 911 call at 12:45 p.m., reporting that a man had brandished a gun at Alpine Bagel in the Frank Porter Graham Student Union. UNC Police promptly arrived at the scene to confirm the report.
UNC Police Chief Brian James provided further details, saying, “According to witnesses, the suspect confronted an employee of Alpine Bagel and displayed a firearm and threatened the employee. He then fled the scene in a vehicle.”
Once the information was verified, the campus was placed on lockdown at 12:54 p.m. through the activation of Alert Carolina. Sirens blared, and emergency text, email, and social media messages were sent out, instructing people to seek shelter away from windows.
At 2:10 p.m., UNC Police received “good information that the suspect was not on campus,” according to James. As a result, an “all clear” message was issued. At 2:45 p.m., Chapel Hill Police apprehended the suspect, Mickel Deonte Harris, in the 300 block of Formosa Lane. Harris was arrested on outstanding warrants related to a separate assault incident on September 5.
Classes were canceled for the remainder of the day but resumed the following day, September 14.
Guskiewicz emphasized the importance of adhering to safety protocols, following the emergency operations plan, and supporting one another during such incidents. He stated, “Today’s events further underscore the importance of everyone working collectively to know our safety protocols, follow our emergency operations plan, and support one another because incidents such as this are all too common.”
The University made changes to its emergency response procedure following the August 28 incident. These included sending more frequent updates during the 76-minute lockdown and requesting the community to silence their phones. Just minutes before the September 13 alert, a campus email was sent out inviting the community to provide feedback on their firsthand experiences during the August 28 lockdown. A newly created feedback portal was made available for this purpose, with feedback being accepted until September 20.
Based on the feedback and internal reviews, the University will continue to make improvements. Guskiewicz assured, “We will learn from today as well. We’re going to do everything possible to reassure everyone that visits this campus — lives, learns, and works here — that this is a safe place to be.”
Both the chancellor and police chief expressed gratitude towards the local law enforcement agencies for their fast response to the alert and commended the actions of UNC Police.
James said, “Everyone responded as they were supposed to. We continually train and review our response and do everything we can to keep this campus safe. However, we stand here again hoping that this never happens again.”
Update: Mickel Deonte Harris, a former temporary, part-time employee in Housekeeping Services, was charged on September 14 with a felony and multiple misdemeanors related to the incident.
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