Shootings at UNC Charlotte: What You Need to Know

On May 1, Students at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte were finishing up their last day of classes when a man walked into class and opened fire. Police responded to a call in the early evening on Tuesday night that reported that shots had been fired on campus.

The shooter has now been identified as 22-year-old Trystan Andrew Terrell.. The shooter opened fire in the classroom killing two, and injuring four more. The Chief of police, Jeff Baker, said that three of the four injured were in critical condition. Terrell is being charged with murder in two counts and attempted murder in four more. Additionally, they are charging him with possession of a firearm and use of a firearm on  educational property.

Students recalled being in class when a message came across the TVs alerting them that there were shots reported near by on campus. The message reportedly said “Run, hide, fight. Secure yourself immediately”.

The campus administration has cancelled anything educational through the weekend. Students across the country and at UNCC alike have united to say, once again, that enough is enough. One student described the events in a chilling Tweet:

The way that this student describes the events makes them seem almost casual. Shootings have become normalized. This is not okay.

The grandfather of Terrell stated on Tuesday that behavior like this is “foreign” and “not in [Trystan’s] DNA.” He claimed that Terrell had previously never shown any interest in firearms whatsoever. This is no excuse.

What does it matter if he showed no behavior that indicated this would happen? What matters is that it did happen and two people are dead. Because of the lack of strong regulations, two people are dead. We can say enough is enough and we can protest, but until real change is made, we are not done. We should be able to go to school, every single day, without fear that it will be our last. This is not okay. This is no way to live.

By Vivi Melkonian