UNC shooting timeline: Faculty member killed, doctoral student charged with murder

Tailei Qi, 34, a doctoral student, was taken into custody Monday near the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after a faculty member was shot and killed.

Professor Zijie Yan was identified as the faculty victim who was killed.

Qi was charged with first-degree murder and possession of a weapon on educational property. He is currently being held in the Orange County Detention Center with a first court appearance scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

All classes are canceled Tuesday as the school and community work to support students, families and faculty, many who are still rattled as they process and grieve the traumatic and tragic event.

The university said shots were fired in Caudill Labs along South Road just after 1 p.m.

Qi was apprehended along Williams Circle, about two miles north of campus, around 2:40 p.m. Police surrounded him, and he sat on a road in front of a driveway in handcuffs before being led to a waiting patrol car.

UNC Police Chief Brian James said it was too early to release any information about a motive.

James said the weapon used in the shooting has not been found. It's not known if the gun was obtained legally.

Classes are canceled for Tuesday, but the school will open a hotline for concerned parents and community members. The number is 919-918-1999.

UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said the university will ring the Bell Tower at 1:02 p.m. on Wednesday in honor of Yan.

"He was a beloved colleague, mentor and friend to many on our campus," Guskiewicz said.

UNC shooting timeline

Key information in Monday's report of a shooting at UNC:

• Around 1 p.m., UNC sent an emergency notification reporting an armed and dangerous person was "on or near" campus.
• One person, a UNC faculty member, has died in the shooting.
• Doctoral student Tailei Qi was taken into police custody before 4 p.m.
• UNC Hospitals was placed on lockdown as a precaution.
• Classes are canceled on Tuesday, Aug. 29.

4:30 p.m.: Carter Scott, a UNC grad student and former classmate of Qi's, spoke with WRAL News.

"I would have never guessed that he would be the kind of person who could possibly be capable of this kind of thing," Scott said. "He was always very quiet."

"Every single time he would talk to me, he seemed very nice. When I saw his face in the reports online, I was beyond shocked."

4:25 p.m.: Sources tell WRAL News that one faculty member has died in the shooting.

4:15 p.m.: An 'all clear' message was issued by UNC and a lockdown was lifted. The university said it was safe to continue with normal activities.

4:05 p.m.: Investigators were seen gathering evidence at a home on Williams Circle.

4 p.m.: Sky 5 flew over as a man was taken into custody and placed into a police car.

3:50 p.m.: Elementary and middle schools in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district have received the 'all clear' signal from authorities to dismiss students.

3:40 p.m.: A photo of a man in handcuffs was shared with WRAL News. The arrest occurred in a residential area along Williams Circle. The man was sitting in front of a driveway.

3:15 p.m.: WRAL News has learned a person is in custody.

Police ask students, staff and faculty to stay sheltered in place for the time being. All previously scheduled classes and events are canceled for Monday.

3:10 p.m.: UNC Hospitals has yet to receive any patients related to the incident, per spokesperson Alan Wolf. It is not known if anyone was injured.

3 p.m.: Students continue to correspond with WRAL News about their experience while staying sheltered in place.

"For the past 30 minutes we've been in a room under shelter," said one student. It's a very stressful time and we're trying to stay together and just stay calm.

"You never think this is going to happen to you, no matter how much we see it in our world," another student said.

2:50 p.m.: A search of an image released by campus police matches the profile of Tailei Qi, a student. A UNC website notes Qi previously attended Louisiana State University and Wuhan University.

The UNC Hospital location on campus (Manning Drive) is also on lockdown.

2:45 p.m.: Gov. Roy Cooper tweeted that he has been in communication with authorities and pledged any state resources necessary to capture the shooter and protect the UNC campus.

2:40 p.m.: UNC police have released a photo of a person of interest in the case. The person was not described as a suspect. The person's name or relationship to the campus community was not released.

2:30 p.m.: A new UNC alert said the suspect is still at large. Students should stay sheltered in place.

2:25 p.m.: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools are not releasing students to their families yet as a safety precaution. School officials said they're waiting to receive an 'all clear' message from authorities. Elementary school dismissal time in the district is generally 2:35 p.m.

2:15 p.m.: WRAL News has learned no one has been placed into custody.

"As soon as we get those alerts, we get really nervous and run to the nearest room," said student Landon Elliot.

Students sheltered in the library among other buildings on campus as the lockdown continued into the afternoon.

2:05 p.m.: UNC distributed an update on the situation, noting the campus "remains on lockdown as the active assailant situation continues."

A large police presence was seen along South Road and students were seen leaving buildings with their hands in the air near Kenan Labs on South Road.

Those on campus should stay in place. Those off campus are asked to stay away.

1:30 p.m.: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Monday sent an emergency notification reporting an armed and dangerous person was "on or near" campus.

A source told WRAL News that someone was armed while inside a campus building. Shots were fired, according to a source.

Sky 5 flew over campus after the notification was sent.

The alert was issued before 1 p.m. University police are advising all students, faculty and staff to:

• Go inside immediately.
• Close windows and doors.
• Stay until further notice.
• Follow directions from emergency responders or University officials.

Sirens sounded to make the campus community aware.

"There were a lot of sirens going off," said WRAL's Louis Fernandez, who was on campus covering a UNC football media availability Monday morning. "As I was going into the Rams Head parking garage, I heard loud sirens going off inside the garage. As I was leaving, you saw five, six, seven police cars making their way over."

A photo was submitted to WRAL News showing a police officer appearing to hold a gun.

The area near the bell tower has been closed off. Chapel Hill transit buses have suspended operations.

Monday marked a week after classes started for the fall semester.

Sirens will sound again once the threat is over with the voice message: "All clear. Resume normal activities."

UNC students, faculty and staff can go alertcarolina.unc.edu for updates.

Campus police ask anyone seeing suspicious activity to call 911. Do not call 911 or campus police just to ask for information about the current situation.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools have entered secure mode, meaning building doors are locked and nobody will be allowed to enter or leave campus buildings.