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Two Reported Dead, One In Custody In Shooting On UNCC Campus, Officials Say

Updated 8:02 p.m.

A shooting on the campus of the Univeristy of North Carolina Charlotte left two people dead and four wounded Tuesday, prompting a lockdown and chaotic scene in Charlotte.

A CMPD spokesperson said there was only one shooter, who is in custody at this time. They have not released the person's identity.

"Shots reported near Kennedy. Run, Hide, Fight. Secure yourself immediately," the university said in an alert, referring to the school's Kennedy building on campus.

An adjunct professor who was teaching at Fretwell Hall, two buildings over from Kennedy, was in a room with 13 students when the alerts went out. The doors to her classroom open outward, so students grabbed computer cords to bind the hinges. They piled desks in front of the doors. Then they watched the classroom TV to find out what had happened. She and the students were also getting updates from the university via text, email and the LiveSafe app.

She said her students were "nervous but calm." They got the clear to leave the building about 7:45.

Mecklenburg Emergency Medical Services Agency said on Twitter that two people were found dead at the scene, two others have life-threatening injuries and two others have injuries that are not life-threatening. They said the numbers could change.

Student Laura Olmos said, "I got a call saying don't come back to campus because I was going to comeback to have dinner with my friends. I just went to the Target parking lot and started crying.

"It's so scary. We heard that he was at the library. My friends are at the library. So you think of everyone you have to call to make sure they're okay.

"One of my friends said her classmate got shot," Olmos continued.

"Now we are one of those schools. It's so crazy."

Ari Seal, a senior PhD student, says he was in the campus gym when the active shooter announcement came over the loudspeaker.

The music was shut off, the lights turned out, and the students instructed to huddle together in the center of the gym.

"I didn't know how to react," he said, "I was scared."

The university later reported that law enforcement officers were sweeping campus buildings.

It was not immediately clear whether the victims were students or whether a suspect was in custody. School officials couldn't be reached for immediate comment Tuesday evening.


The campus was to host a concert at the school's football stadium.


The university has more than 26,500 students and 3,000 faculty and staff.


Devin Searcy says his mom Helen is still on campus, hiding in a closet at the gym. He says she's texted him to say that she's OK.
Jessa O'Connor / WFAE
/
WFAE
Devin Searcy says his mom Helen is still on campus, hiding in a closet at the gym. He says she's texted him to say that she's OK.

UNCC's Office of Emergency Management tweet that buildings are being searched by law enforcement.

An alert sent out by the university advised students to take cover at a secure location Tuesday night after shots were reported near the Kennedy building.

This is a developing story...

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