Graduate student Tai Lei Qi (left) is accused of shooting and killing Associate Professor Jije Yang./Orange County Sheriff’s Office, UNC-Chapel Hill
2023.08.30 Wed posted at 11:39 JST
(CNN) A graduate student was the suspect in the fatal shooting of a faculty member on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, police said Wednesday.
A graduate student, Tailey Chi, has been charged with first-degree murder and possession of a gun on the premises of an educational institution.
The murdered associate professor of applied physical sciences, Jije Yang, had been working at the university since 2019.
According to the University of North Carolina’s biography page, Qi was a graduate student in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences under the guidance of Associate Professor Yang. He entered the university in 2022, and his previous educational background includes Louisiana State University in the United States and Wuhan University in China.
Qi appeared in court on the 29th. Use an interpreter in court. His nationality is Chinese and he resides in the United States on a visa.
Graduate student Tai Lei Qi (left) is accused of shooting and killing Associate Professor Jije Yang.
Prosecutors said the gun possession charge involved a 9mm pistol, and the gun used in the crime has not yet been recovered.
If convicted of murder, he could be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors have decided not to seek the death penalty.
The incident occurred in the chemical research building of the school on the afternoon of the 28th local time. The suspect was found walking about 1.6 kilometers from the scene and was detained about an hour and a half later. The suspect’s car was found on campus.
Police rush to the scene of the shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, U.S./Kaitlin McKeown/The News & Observer/AP
The school canceled all lectures and on-campus activities on the 28th and 29th, and said it would continue to be closed on the 30th.
There have been 49 shootings at schools and colleges in the US this year, including the one at the University of North Carolina, according to CNN.
Suspected shooter suspected of shooting dead graduate student, instructor University of North Carolina
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2023-08-30 02:39:00
