A faculty member at the University of North Carolina lost their life in an on-campus shooting incident involving a graduate student, according to multiple reports, Your Content has learned.
WRAL reports that one individual was fatally wounded during the UNC event, and authorities have apprehended a ‘person of interest.’
Images released by law enforcement depict the alleged shooter in handcuffs, approximately a mile from the university campus, following the issuance of an active shooter alert.
Qi is shown in a photo given to WRAL, sitting on the ground, his hands restrained behind him, donned in a dark-colored shirt and eyeglasses.
Video footage reveals the suspected perpetrator being escorted into a police vehicle by officers post-capture.
An ‘all clear’ announcement has been made by the police, who, according to sources, were investigating a location near where Qi was taken into custody on Williams Circle.
Qi, who once attended Wuhan University in 2015, has been identified by UNC police as someone they wish to question regarding the event.
Your Content has disclosed that Qi, a physics student, has been employed as a research assistant at the university since the beginning of 2022.
The UNC website confirms that the image of the suspect corresponds with an ID photo of Qi, who is enrolled in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences.
Qi has also stated that he earned a master’s degree in material science from Louisiana State University in 2021.
Acquaintances of the accused shooter described him as ‘pleasant’ and ‘reserved’ during their time studying together.
Ayden Scott, speaking to WRAL, said, “I never would have thought he’d be someone capable of such an act. He was consistently reserved.”
“He always seemed kind whenever we spoke. Seeing his face in the online reports left me utterly stunned.”
Earlier, authorities had issued an alert about an ‘armed and dangerous individual’ near the university’s Caudill Labs in Chapel Hill around 1 pm.
Police released a statement saying, “This photo shows a person of interest in today’s armed and dangerous person situation. If you see this person, keep your distance, put your safety first and call 911.”
Last month, the applied physical sciences student sought companionship on social media, stating, “Would like to make some new friends. I am a second-year PhD student, interested in nanoparticle synthesis, optical trapping, self-assembly, spectra analysis, and ML.”