A graduate student at the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, Tailei Qi, has been charged with first-degree murder and possession of a weapon on educational property. Qi was booked at the Orange County Detention Center following the shooting death of a faculty member. The incident took place at the Caudill Labs building, which is located in the heart of the campus and houses the chemistry department.
UNC Police Chief Brian James revealed that the police received a 911 call reporting shots fired at the Caudill Labs building. Upon arrival, they discovered that a professor had been fatally shot. The victim, identified as Zijie Yan, was an associate professor in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences. Qi, a graduate student, was listed as a member of Yan’s research group.
The motive behind the shooting remains unknown, and police have not disclosed any potential reasons for the incident. Chief James expressed the importance of understanding the motive and preventing such tragedies from occurring in the future. The suspect’s apprehension allowed the police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and search for the weapon.
In response to the shooting, the university implemented a campus-wide lockdown until the suspect’s identity was confirmed and the weapon was located. As a precautionary measure, classes have been canceled, and non-mandatory operations have been suspended for the day.
The University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill is working closely with law enforcement to gather more information about the incident. The campus community is in shock and mourning the loss of a valued faculty member. The university is committed to learning from this tragedy and ensuring the safety of its students and staff.