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1 faculty member killed in shooting at UNC campus, suspect arrested

A faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has died after a person opened fire on campus.
Posted at 3:54 PM, Aug 28, 2023

A faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was killed after a suspect opened fire on campus. The suspect has now been arrested.

Officers shared the news at a press conference Monday afternoon.

Just after 1 p.m., police responded to a call about shots fired at a campus laboratory. Upon arriving, they found a faculty member had been shot and was deceased. No other injuries were reported.

Authorities will not be releasing the identity of the teacher yet as they reach out to next of kin.

They will also not yet be naming the suspect, whom they took into custody just after 2:30 p.m. Formal charges have not yet been filed, and the weapon has still not been found after a comprehensive search.

Police expect the ongoing investigation to last several weeks. Initial interviews with the suspect didn't reveal a motive.

Classes at the university will be canceled today and tomorrow.

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Authorities said the suspect's motive behind the attack was made clear by writings that described his hatred toward Black people.

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UNC Police issued their first alert to shelter in place after they received the 911 call. They warned of a potentially armed and dangerous person on or near the campus.

"Go inside now; avoid windows," the university posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Police were seen escorting groups of people to safety, many of whom were walking with their hands up.

Authorities released an image of a man who was named as a person of interest, and people were asked not to approach the person of interest if they came in contact with him.

At the press conference, one officer said a second suspect was detained due to looking similar and being in a place near the scene. That person was released shortly after.

Hours after the alert, police gave an "all clear."