UNC-Chapel Hill Shooter Identified

Just days after students moved back onto campus, tragedy has plagued the exciting allure of going back to school at UNC at Chapel Hill.

As CNN is reporting, on August 28, a lone gunman opened fire on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The first reports of shots being fired came in at around 1:02 p.m. ET. According to CNN, the gunman was at the school’s Caudill Laboratories. About an hour and a half later, at 2:30 p.m. the suspect was taken into custody alive.

As of 6:45 p.m., the only known casualty is a faculty member. Their identity has not yet been made public. No other injuries have been reported.

There is still little known about the gunman as well. However, on August 29, CNN has reported his identity. 

According to CNN, the gunman has been identified as graduate student Tailei Qi. He has been charged with first-degree murder and having a gun on education property.

UNC-Chapel Hill Shooter Identified | Just days after students moved back onto campus, tragedy has plagued the exciting allure of going back to school at UNC at Chapel Hill.
Handout

Qi has been enrolled in the “Department of Applied Physical Sciences” since 2022. UNC police Chief Brian James told CNN that it’s still too early to know a motive for why the shooting took place. 

“We want to ensure that we gather every piece of evidence to determine exactly what happened here today and why it happened,” Chief James explained.

It’s also unclear what Qi’s relationship was to the victim, if any.

UNC-Chapel Hill Shooter Identified | Just days after students moved back onto campus, tragedy has plagued the exciting allure of going back to school at UNC at Chapel Hill.
Handout

Following reports of the first shots, students were alerted to shelter in place. Several hours later, around 3:30 p.m., an hour after the suspect had been apprehended, students were given the “all clear” to continue on with their day.

This story is still developing. Mamas Uncut will continue to update this article when more information becomes available.

About Mamas Uncut

Mamas Uncut is THE online place for moms. We cover the latest about motherhood, parenting, and entertainment as well – all with a mom-focused twist. So if you're looking for parenting advice from real parents, we have plenty of it, all for moms from moms, and also experts. Because, at the end of the day, our mission is focused solely on empowering moms and moms-to-be with the knowledge and answers they’re looking for in one safe space.

-->
Scroll to Top