Incident Questions
Who was the suspect?
Tailei Qi, the graduate student suspected in the Aug. 28 shooting, has been charged by the UNC Police Department with first-degree murder and possession of a weapon on educational property, both felony charges. His booking photo is available through the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. He is being held at the Orange County Jail without bail.
Who was the victim?
The Carolina community mourns the loss of Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences who was killed in the Aug. 28 on-campus shooting. The University is in contact with Yan’s family and is providing resources and support.
Campus Safety Questions
Is my loved one safe?
No injuries to students have been reported following the Aug. 28 incident. If your loved one is a student and you are concerned about them, you can contact the dean of students for help. The best way to share information is by submitting a care referral to their office. To do this, you can visit dos.unc.edu and click on care referral or the direct link to the website is: https://dos.unc.edu/student-support/care-referral-form.
How do we know that the campus is safe for our loved ones?
The safety of our students, faculty and staff is our top priority, but unfortunately these types of incidents do occur in our country today.
The University has emergency plans in place for situations like this, and we practice and stay prepared for emergency situations so we can keep our campus as safe as possible.
How do I report any concerns I have for a student?
Faculty and staff are encouraged to submit a care referral form located here: https://dos.unc.edu/student-support/care-referral-form/.
My student wants to come home/I want my student to come home and do classes virtually. How can we do that?
Classes are canceled through 11:59 pm on Wednesday, Aug. 30. Normal operations, including classes, resumed on Thursday, Aug. 31. At this time the University is not shifting class operations to a virtual format if your student’s class was originally planned to be in person. Students are encouraged to contact their faculty if they would like to discuss their individual attendance needs or requests.
Resources
What resources do you have for students, faculty and staff?
For students
Counseling and Psychological Services are available to any students who need to speak with a mental health provider. CAPS can be reached via 919-966-3658 or caps@unc.edu.
For employees
To support you in coping with our community’s tragic event, additional employee assistance services are available to you throughout the rest of the week.
The Employee Assistance Program will have dedicated counselors available on campus for faculty and staff Wednesday through Friday at the following times and locations:
Friday, Sept. 1,8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Wilson Library
Pleasants Family Assembly Room — Van T. Langeland, MS, licensed clinical mental health counselor and critical incident response consultant.
Special Collections Learning Center Room 504 — Denise Ford, LCSW, MSW, psychiatric social work clinician and critical incident stress management trauma specialist.
Counselors will also be available by phone from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Friday, Sept. 1:
- Henry Ford, LCSW, at 704-525-5850
- Nanette Hero-Vasquez, LCSW, at 817-874-3034
- Allen Koch, LCSW, at 469-319-2125
If a counselor is not available when you call, they are currently assisting another employee. Please call another counselor listed or leave a message for your call to be returned; voice messages will be returned as soon as a counselor is available.
Online EAP support is available to you through GuidanceConnect. Log on to guidanceresources.com using your username and password or register with Web ID: TARHEELS. To receive a referral for a future appointment with an EAP Counselor, you may also call 877-314-5841.
Participation in any EAP service is always free and completely confidential. These services are not processed through your health insurance and are provided by ComPsych, the University’s EAP provider.
We encourage you to access these free EAP services and other resources as needed in caring for yourself and for one another this week.
Will there be a vigil or event in response to the incident?
Candlelight vigil
The University held a vigil the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 30, at the Dean E. Smith Center.
More events
Bell Tower ring: The Bell Tower rang on Wednesday, Aug. 30, at 1:02 p.m. to honor Yan. The community was encouraged to take a moment of silence.
Adams School of Dentistry: Held a community support event Wednesday, Aug. 30, from 12 to 1 p.m. via Zoom but also on site. Students and staff should have received an email about the event.
Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Office of Student Affairs: Held a community support event Wednesday, Aug. 30, from 12 to 1 p.m. via Zoom. Pharmacy students also have access to a dedicated CAPS representative. Students should have received an email.
School of Government: The dean scheduled open discussion time on Thursday at 11 a.m. to connect in room 2401 or by Zoom.
Hussman School of Journalism and Media: Opened the North Carolina Media Halls of Fame room (Carroll 128) for the Hussman community as an additional space. They had snacks and refreshments, as well as a mural for messages from students, faculty and staff. The room was open and available between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.
Gillings School of Global Public Health: Hosted a “Shared Reflections” event Wednesday, Aug. 30, at 2 p.m. in Rosenau 133.
School of Social Work: Director of Wellness Robin Sansing and the Mental Health First Aid Director Alicia Freeman along with Behavioral Health Springboard Director Sarah Reives-Houston and trained staff and faculty from SSW are planning a series of MHFA-informed drop-in sessions to provide support. These are designed as opportunities to gather for refreshments, fellowship, journaling, supportive activities and as an informational resource about mental health support services provided by the University. One-on-one counseling will not be provided, but those requiring such will be referred to an appropriate resource.
Four student-directed MHFA-directed gatherings are planned for:
- Friday, Sept. 1, from 8-9 a.m. and from noon-1 p.m.
- Friday, Sept. 8, from 8-9 a.m. and from noon-1 p.m.
- Monday, Sept. 11, from 8-9 a.m. and noon-2 p.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 12, from 8-9 a.m. and noon-2 p.m.
What resources are available for parents?
The University offers emergency communications for parents through Alert Carolina. The University also has New Student & Family Programs. Those resources can be found at nsfp.unc.edu. The Heels Care Network has a number of resources for family members. The filter feature on the Heels Care Network helps a variety of people in our community connect with these resources.
The University continues to operate an informational hotline (919-918-1999), which now goes to voicemail and is checked regularly. Voicemails will be routed to specific departments as needed.
What safety resources should I talk with my student/child about?
- Alert Carolina
- Emergency call boxes are located across campus with blue lights on top. UNC Police respond to the call box locations as soon as the call boxes are activated.
- SafeWalk provides a male-female pair of police-trained student walkers to accompany students Sunday – Thursday, 11 p.m. – 3 a.m. ET at all on-campus locations, including Granville Towers, and some off-campus locations, such as fraternity and sorority houses. Call 919-962-SAFE (7233).
- The Carolina Ready Safety App is a University-wide mobile application that delivers useful content about the Carolina community, which can be accessed anywhere in the world.
- Point-to-Point (P2P) is an express bus that is free to students during late evening hours.
Is there a hotline I can call to get more information?
The University continues to operate an informational hotline (919-918-1999), which now goes to voicemail and is checked regularly. Voicemails will be routed to specific departments as needed.
Operational Status
Will classes be held the rest of the week?
Classes were canceled until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30. Classes resumed on Thursday, Aug. 31.
Is the campus open today? How do I know what services are available?
The campus is back open and has returned to a normal condition as of Thursday, Aug. 31.
Due to the Aug. 28 incident on campus, UNC-Chapel Hill operated at a Condition 3 on Tuesday, Aug. 29, and Wednesday, Aug. 30. This means that classes were canceled, and non-mandatory operations were suspended on those days.
More information and details about condition types can be found on the Adverse Weather & Emergency Closing webpage.
The University will update the campus if there are any changes to the operational status.
When will classes resume?
Classes resumed on Thursday, Aug. 31, when campus returned to a normal condition.
Can I get food from the dining hall?
Carolina Dining Services has returned to normal operations as of Thursday, Aug. 31. For an up-to-date look at current dining options, visit the Carolina Dining Services website at dining.unc.edu.
Are on campus gyms open?
For hours at Campus Recreation facilities, please visit https://campusrec.unc.edu/facilities/hours/.
I work in the Caudill Labs. When can I access my office?
Caudill Labs is now on after-hours/holiday access. Anyone who works in the building and normally has card access should now be able to enter the building.
If you don’t have access to enter the building and have an experiment or project going in one of the labs that needs to be checked on, please contact Environment, Health and Safety at 919-962-5507.
Are University Libraries open?
For up-to-date information on library hours, visit https://library.unc.edu/hours
Will well-being days be held as planned for the Fall semester?
Student well-being days will occur as scheduled.