UNC students find ways to cope one day after on-campus shooting

By Destinee Patterson

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    North Carolina (WRAL) — For the students and staff on the University of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill campus, those scary hours in lockdown will not be forgotten – nor will the victim, Professor Zijie Yan.

Now, students are turning to each other for comfort. Parents have also found ways to support those on campus. Growing memorials have sprung up outside the Caudill Labs and the Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower.

“Yesterday, I was just hiding in a closet. I didn’t know what was happening; I didn’t know if my friends were ok,” freshman Amy Hyde said.

Parent Dare Johnston is a volunteer with Hugs & Pups. She brought her dog, Duke, to campus Tuesday, offering his support through cuddles.

Hyde said, “Having this tragedy happen in my second week of college ever was just so hard. Just to have these people come here with their dogs and spend time with us, who are hurting, it’s like a piece of home.”

Johnston’s son also attends the university. After making sure he was okay, she said she knew other students needed support.

“Think about being really far from home in some cases, no parents that were right here and having something like that happen on your campus,” Johnston said.

Hyde said she wants to see change.

“This is our home. We’re supposed to feel secure here. Not feeling secure and feeling really unsafe yesterday in a place where we’re supposed to be learning was really scary.”

Across the Chapel Hill campus, students huddled in classrooms and residence halls for about three hours Monday afternoon as police investigated a report of a shooter. They eventually identified doctoral student Tailei Qi and took him into custody. A single victim – Professor Zijie Yan – was found dead at Caudill Labs. Yan was Qi’d academic adviser, according to a university web page.

Photos of students in dark classrooms and library study areas were shared with friends, and students updated family members on their status through their smart phones.

Several students exchanged messages with WRAL News about their experience while staying sheltered in place.

“For the past 30 minutes we’ve been in a room under shelter,” said one student. “It’s a very stressful time, and we’re trying to stay together and just stay calm.”

On Tuesday night, students and community members gathered for a vigil on campus at The Pit.

While rain was in the forecast, it wasn’t enough to slow down the students. Many of the students shared words of comfort and some students showed up to seek help from feeling overwhelmed.

“Students who are hopeless, I will say just turn to the Word. There is hope in the Word,” Lawson said. “That is why we are here today, regardless [of] what comes our way. We are ready to keep going.”

Others took the opportunity to let out their frustrations on the situation.

“There are a lof of us here,” one UNC student said. “I emplore you guys to use the power in numbers to demand change. Get angry.”

On Tuesday night, students and community members gathered for a vigil on campus at The Pit.

While rain was in the forecast, it wasn’t enough to slow down the students. Many of the students shared words of comfort and some students showed up to seek help from feeling overwhelmed.

“Students who are hopeless, I will say just turn to the Word. There is hope in the Word,” Lawson said. “That is why we are here today, regardless [of] what comes our way. We are ready to keep going.”

Others took the opportunity to let out their frustrations on the situation.

“There are a lof of us here,” one UNC student said. “I emplore you guys to use the power in numbers to demand change. Get angry.”

Oliver Katz, an exchange student from Copenhagen Business School in Denmark, said some students crowded into gym locker rooms to get away from windows while others crouched in corners and sat on the floor, he said.

“This never happens where I’m from,” Katz said. “It was intense. But I was a little surprised that other people weren’t panicking that much.”

Katz, who has only been on campus for two weeks, said he’s worried his home university will bring the exchange students back early. “I don’t want to leave. I like it here, and I do still feel safe.”

UNC has established a hotline for concerned parents and community members.

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