The recent tragic incident at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has shocked the community. Tailei Qi, a graduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill, has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences.
Yan, who was an academic advisor to Qi, had a close professional relationship with him. They co-authored research papers together, including one that was published just last month. Their collaboration was an integral part of a department research group. The shooting occurred on campus, specifically in the Caudill Labs building, which led to a campus-wide lockdown and an extensive manhunt.
Prior to joining UNC-Chapel Hill, Yan had an impressive academic background. He had conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Chicago and had served as an assistant professor at Clarkson University in New York. He earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Material Science and Engineering and Computer Science in 2005 from Hauzhong University of Science and Technology in China. Qi, on the other hand, obtained his bachelor’s degree in physics from Wuhan University, also located in Hubei province, China. Yan further pursued higher education, obtaining a master’s degree in Physical Electronics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2007, followed by a Ph.D. in Material Engineering in 2011.
The investigation into the shooting is still ongoing, and as a result, access to the Caudill Labs building remains restricted as authorities search for evidence. UNC-Chapel Hill Police Chief Brian James emphasized the importance of understanding the motive behind the shooting but acknowledged that it is too early in the investigation to determine the exact reason.
The university’s police department is collaborating with state and federal law enforcement agencies to ensure a thorough investigation takes place.
To gain additional insights into Qi’s state of mind, investigators have reviewed his Twitter posts from the past year. In some of these posts, Qi expressed frustration with his work, his fellow graduate students, and his principal investigator (PI), who was responsible for guiding his research. However, it is unclear whether Yan was the target of these posts, as they were often cryptic, partially deleted, and vague in nature.
Qi’s social media posts raise questions about his mindset leading up to the incident. On July 18, 2022, he expressed feeling that his privacy had been violated at work, stating that he felt pressured to showcase his productivity rather than focus on his genuine interests. Similar complaints can be found in his posts from August 18, 2022, where he mentioned conflicts with his research colleagues, work environment, and PI.
In October 2022, Qi made more cryptic posts regarding conflicts with his PI and other students. He questioned their motives and suggested they were attempting to control him through gossip. Interestingly, when he discussed these concerns with his PI, his PI claimed to have no knowledge of such conversations, leading Qi to speculate about voyeurism among his peers. In another post from May 30 of this year, Qi expressed frustration with his working environment and colleagues, highlighting a lack of maturity in prioritizing working hours as a PhD student.
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