2 dead, 4 injured after shooting at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Two people are dead, four were injured and a suspect was taken into custody after a campus shooting Tuesday at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte on Tuesday, officials said.
Police were called late Tuesday afternoon about a suspect armed with a handgun who had shot several students. Police disarmed the suspect, later identified by Charlotte police as Trystan Andrew Terrell, 22, and took him into custody inside the on-campus building, university police chief Jeffrey A. Baker said at a news conference.
"I can't tell you the sadness of the entire community to know that a situation like this has occurred on our campus," Baker said. "We are all pretty much devastated."
Three of the injured are in critical condition, Baker said. A fourth person was injured but was not in critical condition, he said. One of the three critically injured people was out of surgery Tuesday night, Baker said later.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said that no other suspects are being sought, and that charges are pending against Terrell.
Police were called about an assault with a deadly weapon involving an active shooter in the university's Kennedy Building at 5:42 p.m.
About the same time, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Office of Emergency Management tweeted that "Shots reported near kennedy" and urged people to "Run, Hide, Fight. Secure yourself immediately."
Baker said that police responded within minutes, and "one officer immediately went to the suspect to take him down," Baker said.
"He said nothing," Baker said of the suspect. "Our officers' actions definitely saved lives, there's no doubt about that," he said.
The suspect was not known to police, Baker said, but he added the investigation could reveal more details. "He is not somebody that is on our radar," Baker said.
Tristan Field, 19, said in a phone interview with NBC News that he was in a classroom in the Kennedy Building where final presentations were taking place when six or seven gunshots rang out from the opposite side of the room.
Field did not see the shooter or hear the gunman say anything. "He just started shooting," Field said. The professor, Field and other students fled to an adjacent building, where they stayed until police escorted them out.
The Alpha Tau Omega fraternity tweeted that Drew Pescaro of the Lamda Delta Chapter was among the injured and under medical supervision.
Though the shooting was not in the library, Baker said, the panic from the alert sent students under desk and turning out lights.
Jordan Pearce, 19, a freshman, told NBC News in a phone interview that she was on the library’s second floor working on a final project due Tuesday night when she saw students running upstairs.
Pearce initially thought it was a prank, until an intercom announcement warned, “active shooter, stay away from windows and hide."
A police officer then entered the library asking if anyone else was inside, and when he told those students to leave, "we all grabbed our stuff and ran out," she said.
Students and faculty file out of buildings with their hands up during a lockdown after a shooting on the campus of University of North Carolina Charlotte in University City, Charlotte, on April 30, 2019. Logan Cyrus / AFP - Getty Images
Another student told the station that he was on the second floor of the library and someone ran in and yelled there was a shooter.
Tuesday is the last day of classes at the university, according to NBC affiliate WCNC . The university has around 30,000 students, according to its website .
Philip Dubois, chancellor of the university, said Tuesday night that while there is much that is not yet known, "we do know that this is the worst day in the history of UNC Charlotte."
"We are a very tight-knight community. Universities are that way. And this really just shakes us to our very core," Dubois said. He thanked law enforcement for its response.
The FBI said it is on the scene and assisting the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and other law enforcement agencies.
"The FBI is prepared to provide any resource needed as the investigation continues to determine exactly what led to this tragic loss of life in our community," John Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Charlotte division, said in a statement.
U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams, D-N.C., tweeted: "I'm devastated by the events at UNC Charlotte. I'm praying for the victims, their loved ones, and the entire UNCC community tonight. This senseless violence has to stop."
Gov. Roy Cooper called the shooting "a tragic day at this great university," and he said "we mourn the loss of life, we pray for those who are being treated at the hospital."
"We know that for many people here, this will be the worst day of their lives," Cooper said. "So we want to be here for them."
Susan Harden, an UNCC professor and Mecklenburg County Commissioner, was at home when she heard of the shooting, and she went to a staging area, she said, to provide support, the Associated Press reported.
Harden said she has taught inside the Kennedy building.
"It breaks my heart. We're torn up about what's happened," Harden said. "Students should be able to learn in peace and in safety and professors ought to be able to do their jobs in safety."
CORRECTION (April 30, 2019, 10:35 p.m. ET): An earlier version of this article misspelled the last name of a student who was in a library. She is Jordan Pearce, not Peace.
When does the killing stop?
The first question is why do people do this? Lots of reasons. Can we identify the core reasons? Maybe then we can figure out how to mitigate this senseless killing.
I'm not sure the people in charge want to identify why this happens, I believe they would rather just use it as a political cudgel. IMO until we stop with the political posturing and party politicking, we will never find underlying reasons why this continues to happen and nothing will be done to possibly reduce if not eliminate this action.
It's a terrible thing when a life is cut short by violence.
I think it is time to realize it will never stop.
There was a time when someone who did something like this wouldn't get their name and face in the paper or plastered all over the place, and for good measure they would be immediately taken out to the nearest strong tree and hung. Or maybe fastened to a boulder and dropped to the bottom of the nearby lake.
Socially disaffected people didnt used to think it attractive to kill those who annoy them, but today the "reward" of notoriety seems too tempting.
Just another day in America.
Again this week, there will be no national pizza party...
But why?
Another day of lunacy.
Thoughts and prayers will be in the offing no doubt.
Thoughts and prayers are all that is needed.
Thoughts and prayers will stop this in it's tracks.
A good guy with a gun is what stopped it.
When they can stop it before it starts you will have a good point, but not til then.
Cops stopped him not some civilian with a gun
I don't think we can legislate away gun violence. For one thing too many guns are already out there.
We have a gun love culture among a lot of people, who are fascinated by guns and even some go to a fetish level love for guns. I think the Sandy Hook killer, who was taken to the shooting range by his mother of all people, had that fascination..
The killings will stop when the society abhors guns, not loves them.
No, I don't believe all cops are good guys. Just sayin
Since you think you know fuck all about me, why don't you tell me what I believe?
In this case, the cops were the "good guys" but from what I'm always hearing from people like you are that we should all be armed so "good guys with guns" can stop the bad guys. THAT's what I was referencing
So you don't think everyone should be armed?
And if not, why not? You want to be armed, why can't others be armed?
I didn't lie....I insinuated.
And another thing....don't ever fucking yell at me like that again and tell me what to do. I'm not your wife.
Oh so you're blaming these white supremacist domestic terrorists killing indiscriminately on SSRI's.
Good job!
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'And believe me, you never would be.'
Devastating, just devastating.
what the fuck are you talking about?
Oh and he said I have no class.
Is class only reserved for the skirts, high heels, and pearls club?
You said - "don't ever fucking yell at me like that again and tell me what to do. I'm not your wife."
Implication is that a person is allowed to yell and tell significant others what to do, but not you?
BTW - please watch your language (little CoC thingy) - thanks.
this isn't your seed so don't play school marm with me. If this were your seed I wouldn't even say shit if I had a mouthful. If Perrie tells me to watch it I will. But I'm not violating the COC, just your delicate sensitivities.
No, he doesn't get to yell at me and tell me what to do. What he does in his marriage is his business
John - my wife's country, Venezuela, is going through the "take'm away" mentality. Look at today's news and see how that has worked.
OK EVERYONE LISTEN UP!
TONE THIS DISCUSSION DOWN AND GET BACK ON TOPIC. I AM TRYING TO BE NICE, SO I AM NOT WRITING UP ANYONE, BUT THE PERSONAL INSULTS HAVE GOT TO STOP.
The topic is why this has become an all too common occurrence here in this country since it seems that it is only our country that suffers from this.
Again and again and again....
I have nothing to say. It has all been said.
... and the killing continues...