crime
Shooter kills faculty member at US university
Police and first responders are gathering near the clock tower on the University of North Carolina campus after an “armed and dangerous person” was reported. photo
© Kaitlin McKeown/The News & Observer via AP/dpa
Many US universities are starting the fall semester these days. At the University of North Carolina, students and employees have to barricade themselves – another case of gun violence.
At a university in the US state North Carolina, a gunman opened fire, killing a faculty member. Shots were fired in a laboratory on the premises of the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill on Monday shortly after 1 p.m. (local time), as the university and authorities announced in the evening.
Students and employees were then warned by the university and the police of an “armed and dangerous person on or near the campus” and asked to seek shelter in the university buildings. They barricaded themselves in lecture halls and offices.
After an hour and a half, the police arrested the suspected shooter. After more than three hours, the police declared the lockdown over. The background to the fact was initially unclear. There was no indication of any other fatalities or injuries. The head of the university was “shocked and sad” in a statement.
The semester in the USA started last week. There are around 30,000 students at UNC in Chapel Hill, the oldest state university in the USA. After the incident, all events for Tuesday were canceled.