The UNC campus community spent more than an hour sheltering in place on Wednesday, as the university issued an emergency alert about an armed person reported on or near campus.
UNC issued an “all clear” message to the campus community at 2:10 p.m., saying normal operations could be resumed after the university’s police department said at 12:54 p.m. that an “armed and dangerous” person had been reported. At 3:20 p.m., another Alert Carolina was shared saying classes are cancelled for the rest of Wednesday and it will operate under Condition 3 — the university is closed — until 5 p.m.
The university said police received reports at the Carolina Student Union off South Road about a person brandishing a weapon at 12:45 p.m. and said that the “situation was related to a personnel matter for one of our auxiliary units.” No shots were fired in the incident, according to UNC Police.
Shortly after the campus lockdown was lifted, Chapel Hill Police said its officers arrested 27-year-old Mickel Deonte Harris in the 300 block of Formosa Lane. Harris, who is a Durham resident, had outstanding warrants for his arrest related to a road rage incident on September 5 — but police added he was sought in connection to the incident on UNC’s campus.
A Chapelboro reader in the area of Formosa Lane captured the arrest on camera.
Harris was eventually booked in Orange County Jail at 5:32 p.m. on charges that include having a gun on educational property and assault by pointing a gun. He was given a secured bond of more than $10,000.
The university’s leadership held a press conference at 5 p.m. to confirm and expand on the details publicly available as of Wednesday afternoon. UNC Police reported a ten-minute gap in time between when the first 911 call came through about an incident in the student union and when campus was locked down. University Police Chief Brian James said Wednesday that was due to the nature of the specific incident and fit with the school’s emergency response protocols.
“When we respond to a situation, we have to confirm it first before we got into a full lockdown,” he said. “That is a concern — I would say also that throughout the country, there have been reports where people have made false calls. So it is important we go to the location and actually confirm [an incident] before we issue a lockdown notification.
“Everyone responded as they were supposed to,” James continued. “Our UNC police officers immediately organized themselves, went into buildings, cleared areas, and our partners got here very quickly to help us establish a perimeter around campus and clear buildings as needed.”
Wednesday’s incident marked the second lockdown in 16 days for the UNC campus community, as the fall semester has begun with two extended emergency incidents. An “armed and dangerous” person alert was issued on August 28 after a fatal shooting was reported in Caudill Laboratory and faculty member Zijie Yan was killed. At that time, the campus lockdown lasted for around three hours as local authorities sought the lone suspect, eventually arresting graduate student Tailei Qi about two miles north of Caudill Labs. Qi was later charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm on educational property.
UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz stressed during Wednesday’s press availability that the event in the student union had no relation to the fatal shooting on August 28 – but he acknowledged how concerning and traumatic the experience was for those who experienced yet another campus lockdown out of caution of an armed and dangerous person.
“I want to be clear,” he said, “that guns are prohibited on this campus and every campus across the state of North Carolina. Today’s events further underscore the importance of everyone working collectively to know our safety protocols, follow our emergency action plan, and support one another… because incidents such as this are far too common.
“Thankfully, no one was injured,” Guskiewicz added. “But imagine the stress, the trauma, and the anxiety that a second lockdown in 16 days has caused for our students, our faculty, and our staff. This pains me as a member of this community now for over 28 years, and I’m committed to doing everything possible to maintaining the safety of all those who work, learn, and live here at Carolina.”
The campus lockdown had several ripple effects beyond UNC operations once again. After the Alert Carolina message on Wednesday, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools system entered “secure mode” with its campuses in response to UNC locking down — essentially keeping all students and staff indoors. With the “all clear” issued before dismissal was slated for elementary school students at 2:35 p.m., district leadership said normal release operations and after-school activities would take place.
Additionally, the Chapel Hill Transit system said at 12:58 p.m. it will be holding buses in place due to the campus lockdown. UNC Health told employees to follow similar protocols, telling employees at 1:13 p.m. to stay inside facilities due to a “security situation on the UNC Chapel Hill campus” while “maintaining normal operations.” Upon the news of the lockdown being lifted, Chapel Hill Transit said it would resume service, but warned riders that buses would be off schedule and traffic impacts may be felt from the incident.
Shortly after the “all clear” Alert Carolina was sent out, UNC’s Healthy Heels initiative shared a variety of mental health resources and strategies that those on campus can use if they were emotionally affected by another lockdown. Resources and their descriptions can be found through the Heels Care Network.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Thursday, September 14 to include the charges UNC Police brought against Harris.
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