UNC Shooting Suspect Deemed Unfit for Trial, Sent to Mental Health Facility

Tailei Qi, the suspect charged with the murder of UNC associate professor Zijie Yan, has been found unfit to stand trial due to severe mental illness. Qi will be committed to Central Regional Hospital for mental health treatment, with the possibility of resuming court proceedings if his condition improves. Two separate evaluations determined that Qi likely suffers from schizophrenia and is incapable of understanding the nature of the proceedings against him. The average time to resolve a homicide case in Orange County is between 1.5 and 2.5 years.