UNC-Chapel Hill shooting: Who died at UNC-Chapel Hill?

Professor Zijie Yan was identified as the faculty victim in a deadly shooting that sent the UNC-Chapel Hill campus into lockdown on Monday. He was the academic adviser of suspect Tailei Qi, according to a university web page.

Yan was an associate professor in the department of applied physical sciences, where he focused on nanoscience technology.

Qi, a second-year doctoral student who was taken into custody after Monday’s shooting, worked closely with Yan’s research group at UNC since early 2022. Police said the incident happened in a lab on campus.

Yan and Qi co-authored research papers in recent years on the effect of light on nanoparticles.

UNC-Chapel Hill shooting: Who died at UNC-Chapel Hill?

UNC-Chapel Hill graduate student Tailei Qi, 34, has been charged with first-degree murder in Monday’s on-campus shooting of Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the university’s Department of Applied Physical Sciences.

Yan, who was identified as the victim Tuesday, served as academic advisor to Qi. The two men co-authored research papers – one published just last month – and worked closely as part of a department research group over the last year.

Qi is alleged to have shot Yan in the Caudill Labs building, prompting a campus-wide shutdown and hours-long manhunt as students, faculty, and staff sheltered in place.