CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two years ago, UNC Charlotte became the site of yet another mass shooting that left two students dead and four others wounded after gunfire erupted inside a classroom.
Michael Bannerman, a senior at UNC Charlotte, said he remembers the chaos on campus when the "run, hide, fight" message went out to students on April 30, 2019.
“Nobody knew what was going on," Bannerman said about that fateful day. "So, I was honestly scared for my life.”
The university community gathered in person Friday to grieve, reflect and honor the memories of Riley Howell and Ellis Reed Parlier, something the Niner family was unable to do in 2020 during the earliest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, Niner Nation had a variety of events they could participate in on campus. The Niner Community Remembrance Art Mural was set up outside of the student union.
Bannerman took part in painting a canvas for the Niner Community Remembrance Art Mural. He designed a picture with two figures, representing Parlier and Howell, holding a UNC Charlotte pickaxe with the message "CLT Strong."
“[I] wanted to let other people know, we’re unified at Charlotte," Bannerman explained.
For some students, the two-year anniversary was an emotional day as they stepped on campus to pay their respects.
“Coming in, I could feel it in the air, the heartbreak and the feeling of loss and something tragic could happen on campus," Oksana Golovko, a UNC Charlotte student, said.
A special evening program featured speeches from student leaders, administrators, and more. A 4.9-mile run-walk-bike event served as a more active option. Outside of the Kennedy building, message boards were set up for students to leave personal notes, along with a similar message board online.
Contact Richard Vayne at rdevayne@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
Contact Kendall Morris at kmorris2@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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