CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Newly released 911 calls are shedding light on the horrific moments during a shooting at UNC Charlotte.
There are firsthand accounts from students who were running and hiding for their lives. NBC Charlotte wants to warn you, the calls are difficult to hear.
Some of the calls describe familiar stories because NBC Charlotte has been hearing different accounts of the shooting all week. However, the 911 calls make it all the more real.
In one 911 call, the caller describes hiding in the library during the shooting.
“We’re hiding, and we don't know what to do,” the caller told the 911 dispatcher.
While NBC Charlotte did not confirm the voice on the call, the caller’s description is very similar to another account from earlier this week.
UNC Charlotte student Khalil Boss told NBC Charlotte how he was in the library when panic set in about the active shooter.
“I heard a bunch of people yelling and screaming, ‘There was a shooter, there was a shooter’,” Boss previously told NBC Charlotte. “So my first reaction was to drop all my things and try to find someplace to hide.”
The 911 dispatcher asked the caller questions about what he was witnessing.
“Have you heard anymore shooting going on outside?” the dispatcher asked the caller.
“I haven't heard the shooting, but I've heard people screaming so me and my friend we ran,” the caller replied.
The newly released 911 calls are also shedding light on the classroom where the shooting happened.
NBC Charlotte previously reported on a blog from professor Adam Johnson who described how his former student began opening fire in the liberal studies class. The suspect attended the class earlier in the semester before dropping out.
One of the 911 calls came from Johnson’s partner during the shooting.
“I actually got a text message from my partner who is a faculty member at UNC Charlotte that he has an active shooter in his classroom,” the caller told the 911 dispatcher.
The professor’s blog reads in part, “Before opening fire, the shooter said nothing. He simply raised the gun and started to fire.”
“He (the professor) said he was able to get several students out,” the caller said.
Two students were killed, and four were hurt. One of those who died, Riley Howell, tackled the shooter. The professor said that act undoubtedly saved more lives, calling him an absolute hero.
The newly released 911 calls also highlight the importance of relaying quick, specific, and accurate information to dispatchers.
The NBC Charlotte Defenders team found out the most important things you need to know when calling about an emergency.
“There is a shooter on UNC Charlotte campus,” one caller said.
“ Can you see him?” the dispatcher asked.
“Um, yes, we were in the class it was in the Kennedy building,” the caller responded.
In the chaos of the moment, it’s understandable that some information is not always immediately available to relay to the dispatchers.
“Did she tell you where she's hiding ma'am?” a dispatcher asked a mother calling on behalf of her daughter.
“She told me she's inside one of the classrooms, um, um,” the mother responded.
The NBC Charlotte Defenders team asked Medic what you need to know when calling 911.
- First, officials say you should know the number you’re calling from. That’s so they can verify the number and call back if needed.
- Second, give the dispatcher the exact location for the emergency. That way they know where to send help as quickly as possible.
- Third, be prepared to answer questions about a patient’s condition and be ready to follow life-saving instructions.
“There were students outside that were bleeding that do need a medic,” one caller told the dispatcher.
At the end of the day, dispatchers rely on your information on the scene.
“What is most difficult about this is we have no physical control. In here, all we have is our voice,” a dispatcher previously told NBC Charlotte.
Medic told us dispatchers want to talk to the person who is closest to the patient, so they can get the most direct information possible.