Faculty member killed in Monday shooting on UNC-Chapel Hill's campus; suspect in custody

The following piece includes live updates that were originally posted on WUNC's breaking news liveblog.

Key facts

• UNC-Chapel Hill officials said one faculty member was killed Monday afternoon in an on-campus shooting in a lab. The faculty member was not publicly identified as of Monday evening.
• No one else was injured in the shooting.
• A suspect was arrested several hours later.
• UNC-Chapel Hill's campus was locked down for about three hours on Monday. Classes are canceled Tuesday.

Police: 'We are sure that it’s him'

Posted at 6:31 pm

Police are confident that the suspect arrested Monday afternoon is responsible for the shooting death of a faculty member at the Caudill Laboratories on UNC-Chapel Hill's campus.

"We did a comprehensive search of campus, as well as the surrounding areas," UNC Police Chief Brian James said at a press briefing Monday evening. "So at this point, I am not prepared to say how he was apprehended, but we are sure that it’s him, and we were able to verify that."

UNC Police are not identifying the suspect until he is formally charged.

Police are still on the lookout for a firearm involved in the shooting, but aren't prepared to identify the type of weapon they are looking for.

Shortly after the lockdown began, someone who police said fit the description of the suspect and was in the general area of the Caudill Laboratories was detained. When it was determined that person was not the suspect, they were released shortly after, James said.

“We want to learn from this incident, and we will certainly work to do our best to ensure that this never happens again on the UNC campus," he said.

First-year student Cogan McMichaels was in Cobb, an on-campus dorm, when he heard about a possible active shooter being on campus. He and his roommate sat in pitch darkness, as they scrolled through their phones to get any information on the situation.

“We had the lights off, the blinds were down, the door was locked. The hall lights were off, so it was very eerie outside,” he said. “You’re always in that position where you’re like 'it couldn’t be me' and then when it is, you’re kind of shocked. It’s horrifying.”

UNC faculty member killed in shooting

Posted at 5:49 pm

A faculty member was killed during Monday's shooting on UNC-Chapel Hill's campus.

Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz alerted the UNC community in an email around 5:40 p.m. University officials are waiting for the next of kin to be notified about the shooting before revealing more information.

"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," Guskiewicz said in the email. "This shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted on our campus. We will work to rebuild that trust and safety."

Police were notified of shots fired in the Caudill Laboratories on campus at 1:02 p.m. The suspect was taken into custody around 2:30 p.m.

Classes are cancelled for the rest of Monday, as well as all of Tuesday.

Earlier updates

UNC-Chapel Hill's alert system gave the all-clear to resume normal activities three hours after authorities reported an armed and dangerous person on or near campus. People were advised to shelter in place and the university was placed on a lockdown.

Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz alerted the UNC-Chapel Hill community in an email around 5:40 p.m. that one university faculty member was killed. University officials are waiting for the next of kin to be notified about the shooting before revealing more information.

"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," Guskiewicz said in the email. "This shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted on our campus. We will work to rebuild that trust and safety."

Police were notified of shots fired in the Caudill Laboratories on campus at 1:02 p.m. The suspect was taken into custody around 2:30 p.m. Police are confident that this suspect is responsible for the shooting death of the aforementioned faculty member at the Caudill Laboratories on UNC Chapel Hill's campus.

"We did a comprehensive search of campus, as well as the surrounding areas," UNC Police Chief Brian James said at a press briefing Monday evening. "So at this point, I am not prepared to say how he was apprehended, but we are sure that it’s him, and we were able to verify that."

Police are still on the lookout for a firearm involved in the shooting, but aren't prepared to identify the type of weapon they are looking for.

More information about the suspect was not available. Around 2:35 p.m., UNC police shared a photo of "a person of interest" regarding the situation.

The threat was first brought to attention around 1:04 p.m. when a push alert from UNC went out to students, faculty and staff. The on-campus Alert Carolina sirens were also activated. At 1:21 p.m., the Alert Carolina system advised everyone to “continue to shelter in place.”

The Town of Chapel Hill said that its community members should avoid campus. Carrboro Mayor Damon Seils says folks should, "avoid repeating unconfirmed reports."

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools have been given the all-clear from proper authorities and began dismissing students at 3:40 p.m. Monday afternoon, more than an hour after the normal dismissal time due to the reported threat.

CHCCS had entered "Secure Mode" on Monday afternoon after the report of an "armed and dangerous person" near the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill. For CHCCS, "Secure Mode" means building doors will be closed and locked, and nobody will enter or leave a school building until an “all-clear” signal is given by the authorities.

GoTriangle buses have paused transportation near Chapel Hill.

Media near campus have reported an increased police presence.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said he has "pledged all state resources needed to capture shooter and protect the UNC campus."

This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available. Live updates are also available from WUNC.