Campus Safety

2 Students Are Killed in Shooting at U. of North Carolina at Charlotte

By Dan Berrett

May 1, 2019

Students gather at the U. of North Carolina at Charlotte on Tuesday in the aftermath of a shooting that left two dead and four injured. A 22-year-old suspect is in custody.

Updated (5/1/2019, 10:05 a.m.) with more details.

Two students were killed and four others injured on Tuesday in a shooting inside a building at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

The police announced that they had disarmed a suspect and taken him into custody. He was later identified as Trystan Andrew Terrell, 22, a former student at the university. He was reportedly armed with a pistol.

On Wednesday morning, Philip L. Dubois, the university’s chancellor, identified the two students who had been killed. He said on a local radio station that they were Ellis Parlier, 19, and Riley Howell, 21, according to The Charlotte Observer.

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Updated (5/1/2019, 10:05 a.m.) with more details.

Two students were killed and four others injured on Tuesday in a shooting inside a building at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Three of the students who were injured were described in news reports as being in critical condition. The injuries to the fourth person were described as less serious.

The Niner Times, Charlotte’s student newspaper, reported that its sports writer, Drew Pescaro, was recovering from surgery after being injured in the shooting. The paper also quoted a student as saying that the shooting had taken place in a “Science, Technology, and Society” class taught by Adam Johnson, an anthropology instructor.

About 5:50 p.m., Eastern time, the university’s office of emergency management sent out a warning that shots had been fired near an administration building that is one of the oldest on the campus.

“Shots reported near Kennedy,” the warning said. “Run, Hide, Fight. Secure yourself immediately.”

The campus remained on lockdown for about five hours on Tuesday, which was the last day of classes. Several students were on the campus in anticipation of a concert that evening. Exams were canceled through Sunday, the university said.

“This is the saddest day in UNC Charlotte’s history,” Dubois said in a written statement. “The days ahead will be some of the most challenging we have ever encountered. All I can say for certain is that we will get through them together.”

Dan Berrett writes about teaching, learning, the curriculum, and educational quality. Follow him on Twitter @danberrett, or write to him at dan.berrett@chronicle.com.