Tense Lockdown Triggered by the Killing of Faculty Member

Monday at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, a faculty member was tragically shot and killed at Caudill Laboratories, prompting a campus lockdown and a manhunt for the suspect. In an email to students, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz expressed his devastation and sorrow over the incident, as reported by the Washington Post. The identity of the victim will not be disclosed until the family has been notified. Fortunately, no other casualties were reported. The campus alert was initially issued at 1:03pm, and the suspect was arrested at 2:38pm, according to WTVD. The labs, which primarily focus on chemistry, are situated across the street from the iconic Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower.

Brian James, the Chief of Campus Police, stated that the suspect’s identity will not be revealed until charges are filed. At this early stage, it is difficult to determine the motive, and the weapon used has yet to be found. The campus was placed on lockdown for a duration of three hours, during which everyone was instructed to take shelter. Students who were waiting out the lockdown together reported that individuals remained calm throughout the ordeal. Campus police escorted students with their hands raised from the science buildings, as helicopters circled overhead. Parts of Chapel Hill were also temporarily shut down due to the incident. As a precautionary measure, the university canceled all classes on Monday and Tuesday, just one week into the semester.

A professor, who was hiding in his office, spoke with a reporter and compared this lockdown to a previous experience of being held at gunpoint in a store. According to Noel Brewer, the current lockdown has been “far more stressful.” He further mentioned the impact on the locked-down students, stating, “it’s just a lot.” One student resorted to using furniture to barricade her dorm room, while an exchange student from Denmark, who had only been in the US for two weeks, expressed shock at the incident, stating, “This never happens where I’m from,” as reported by the AP. Oliver Katz, concerned about his home college’s response, expressed his desire to stay, saying, “I like it here, and I do still feel safe.” (Read more campus shooting stories.)