A massive manhunt for a shooter at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ended with the televised arrest of an Asian man accused of shooting-to-death a faculty member on Monday.
It was just after 1 p.m. Monday afternoon when a shooting erupted right outside Caudill Laboratories at the University of North Carolina.
One person was killed.
(AP)
Kevin Guskiewicz, the Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told reporters, "I'm grieved to report that one of our faculty members was killed in this shooting." "This loss is devastating, and the shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted in our campus community," lamented Guskiewicz.
Then the university went under an hours-long lockdown as armed police swarmed the campus, hunting for the suspect.
While an alert of an active shooter was issued students admitted they were caught off guard as they were being evacuated.
(AP)
Stefano Dongowski, a student at the University of North Carolina, said, "I appreciate the kind words from that police chief, the chancellor. But when the chancellor commented on the students being informed of a supposed protocol, there may be one that exists, but students have by no means been informed of it."
(NBC)
Another student recalled, "So immediately, we all just stayed hiding in the stalls, squatting on the toilets. Just scared, we didn't know what was happening."
(NBC)
This student said, "It was terrifying because you know you see that on your phone and you think it's just one of those things."
The manhunt and lockdown came to an end when the Asian assailant, 34-year-old Tailei Qi, who's a PhD student at UNC, was arrested live on TV.
(NBC - Photo of the 34-year old Asian suspect, Tailei Qi)
He has yet to be formally charged, but is being held in the Orange County Detention Centre.
The shooting happened just one week after classes started.
Police are looking for the weapon and trying to determine the motive.
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