A graduate student allegedly shot and killed a faculty member at UNC-Chapel Hill Monday afternoon, according to university officials and police. The suspect, Tailei Qi, a graduate student in applied physical sciences, was taken into custody Monday afternoon.
Qi's Twitter posts expressed frustration, stress and depression. This year and last, he made a series of vague posts about conflict with other students and his “PI” or principal investigator, usually a faculty member assigned by the university to work with students on research projects.
The shooting took place at the Caudill Labs building, which houses chemistry labs. The campus was placed on lockdown for several hours while police searched for the shooter.
Students, faculty and staff were asked to shelter in place inside classrooms, libraries, labs and dorms while police searched for the shooter.
Police searched the UNC-Chapel Hill campus for the shooter for several hours before taking Qi into custody.
A candlelight vigil was held on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus to remember the deceased faculty member.
The dove is a symbol of hope, and many people are hoping that the shooting at UNC-Chapel Hill will not lead to more violence.