UNC Graduate Student Charged with Murder in Fatal Shooting of Faculty Member

Tailei Qi, a second-year PhD student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of his academic advisor, Zijie Yan. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear. Qi, who appeared in court with an interpreter, is being held without bond and his next hearing is scheduled for September 18. The shooting prompted a campus-wide lockdown, and footage showed students and faculty members jumping from windows or barricading themselves in classrooms. The university's chancellor expressed condolences to the victim's family and emphasized the need to address the loss of trust and safety within the campus community.