Shooting at University of North Carolina: Faculty member shot dead on campus

The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill was the scene of a horrific shooting that left a faculty member dead and forced authorities to close the campus for several hours. Police have already identified and arrested one suspect.

UNC Police Chief Brian James said that shortly after 1 p.m., authorities received a 911 call reporting shots fired in the Caudill Labs, a science building on campus.

When police arrived, it was discovered that there was a fatal victim in the shooting. Although James did not reveal the name or other details of the deceased, he said he was a faculty member.

About 90 minutes after authorities were informed of the shooting, police managed to arrest a suspect. However, according to James, police will not reveal details of the person until formal charges are filed.

Although the alleged shooter was found shortly after the call, authorities kept the entire campus closed for several hours to search for the weapon and other details that could prove useful to the investigation. The motive has not yet been determined, nor has a possible connection between the victim and the shooter been found.

“I am devastated and saddened by today’s shooting in one of our campus buildings, a place where we conduct our important work of teaching, mentoring and research every day. This shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted on our campus,” UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said he would work to rebuild trust and security.

Guskiewicz said that in response to what happened, it was decided to cancel both classes and other campus events until at least Tuesday.