CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — On Aug. 28, 2023, a man walked into a building at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, raised a gun and shot a faculty member. Professor Zijie Yan was killed.
A father of two, Yan was an associate professor in UNC’s department of applied physical sciences, where he focused on nanoscience technology. He was studying how it can be used to improve drug delivery to human cells.
Tailei Qi, 34, one of Yan's graduate students, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and possession of a weapon on educational property.
An after-action report the shooting included multiple safety recommendations, among them clearer messaging from the university through its Alert Carolina system.