'It's sad and alarming' UNC community on edge after second lockdown in 16 days

Classes resumed Thursday at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill following a campus lockdown that was triggered by a person waving a gun at an on-campus bagel shop.

According to police at 12:54 p.m. on Wednesday, the university issued an emergency notification warning of an armed and dangerous person on or near campus.

Mickel Deonte Harris, the man sought in connection with the incident, was arrested around 2:45 p.m. Chapel Hill Police said Harris is 27 years old and lives in Durham. He was arrested on Formosa Lane in Chapel Hill, north of campus.

The incident sent students and staff scrambling for cover as emergency sirens blared, waiting for more information.

"You don’t know if anybody’s been hurt you don’t know the caliber of the situation you're just waiting to find out," UNC student Jaylen Harrell said.

The campus was placed on lockdown, and police officers swarmed the area. In the chaos, several students ran out of their buildings, seeking safety.

Allie Agnoli and her roommate were among the UNC students who saw the man with the gun. They were sitting in the student union when they saw him pull the gun on an Alpine Bagel employee.

"I was like, 'Oh God, oh God, not again," Agnoli said.

The two students were just five feet away from the suspect. They quickly barricaded themselves under a table and prepared for the worst.

"We could have watched that man die and then been next," Agnoli said. "It's a lot to take in."

The all-clear notification came around 2:10 p.m. Police officers were seen at Greenfield Place Apartments on Formosa Lane after Harris was arrested.

A source told WRAL News that the boyfriend of a former Alpine Bagel Cafe employee entered the cafe and waved a gun at one point during a loud confrontation. The incident incited panic within the Frank Porter Graham Student Union and launched the campus-wide alert.

No shots were fired in the altercation and no one was injured. Police officers were gathered around the student union building and students sheltered in place for a little more than an hour.

"It's sad and alarming that there have been two lockdowns over the past 16 days on our campus," UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said at a news conference. "We've had to apprehend individuals that have violated the safety of our community."

Charges for Harris are pending. Authorities are still reviewing video footage of the altercation. UNC Police Chief Brian James said authorities did not know Harris’ motive.

“We are exploring what their relationship was,” James said of Harris’ connection with the former Alpine Bagel Shop employee. “We believe there was some type of connection.”

Harris's first court appearance will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Orange County Courthouse. He also had outstanding warrants related to an assault by pointing a gun and communicating threats on Sept. 5.

An additional alert was sent out by the university at 1:54 p.m., urging students to continue to shelter in place. Around 2:15 p.m., students were seen walking around campus as if it was a usual day. All Wednesday afternoon and evening classes were canceled. UNC will continue with normal operations on Thursday.

Still, with Wednesday's events occurring just two weeks after a fatal shooting on campus, students were on edge during the lockdown and in disbelief over dealing with another alarming situation so early in the semester.

"We just saw some people running. Everyone was really scared, not knowing what was going on," said Chole, a student.

One student told WRAL News that the incident "started as a verbal fight between two guys at the cash register." The yelling between the two drew attention from patrons at the cafe and those inside began to scatter.

University sirens were sounded and students were seen running inside. The student union is roughly a quarter-mile from Caudill Laboratory, where a professor was killed in a shooting in August.

"We saw people running in all different directions, trying to get inside," said WRAL reporter Monica Casey.

Sky 5 flew over campus. Around 1:45 p.m., the usually bustling walkways and commons areas were quiet with little foot traffic.

Video from the scene showed students evacuating and police cars parked along campus near the student union near the intersection of Stadium Drive and South Road.

Wednesday's events happened just 16 days after the Aug. 28 shooting with many still processing that incident. At 12:43 p.m., the university distributed a survey to ask for feedback about how the Aug. 28 shooting was handled. A person called police about the incident at 12:45 p.m. and a campus alert went out at 12:54 p.m.

UNC sophomore Hallie Brew spoke with WRAL News and said she was in her dorm room when she heard about what was happening.

"Texts started flooding in from peers who were in the union saying that they saw people running outside and just expressing that we all can't believe this is happening again, not even a month after the first experience that we've had while locked down," Brew said.

Students were disheartened by both incidents occurring so close together.

"This should not be the college experience," said Mary, also a sophomore.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools released students after receiving an "all clear" from authorities. Duke University also sent out an alert to students and staff. Bus service from Duke to UNC was temporarily stopped.

Wednesday's news comes after researcher Zijie Yan was shot and killed on Aug. 28 on UNC's campus. Tailei Qi, 34, a doctoral student, was taken into custody.

On Wednesday morning, there was a UNC-Chapel Hill employee forum where faculty and staff shared their thoughts on the response to the Aug. 28 shooting. Some people felt there was enough communication during the lockdown, while others wanted more specifics.

One staff member had concerns about doors that didn't lock. UNC Provost Chris Clemens told the group the university is creating a centralized form for feedback on the situation, and will be bringing in outside consultants to review the comments.

According to the Gun Violence Archives, there have been 31 total shootings at a college or university that resulted in injury or death in 2023. Six of those have taken place on campuses across North Carolina.

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, who said he has a son who attends UNC, spoke to the frustration felt by many.

"There's no easy answers to any of this stuff," Moore told WRAL News on Wednesday. "But it's unfortunate that these things happened and I think criminals who break the law need to be dealt with. Behavioral health is a big part of it as well."