ORANGE COUNTY, N.C. — Editor's note: Video features Tailei Qi's first court appearance.
Tailei Qi, the UNC shooting suspect, was indicted for first-degree murder in Orange County Tuesday.
The District Attorney says the grand jury returned true bills of indictment on both charges for Qi, meaning the grand jury has decided there was enough evidence provided to show probable cause.
The case now has an administrative court date set for the next couple of weeks, where the DA will declare this case non-capital. The DA has already said that he will not seek the death penalty in any case.
Investigators said Tailei Qi, 34, took a 9mm handgun to campus on Monday and gunned down his professor, Zijie Yan, inside Caudill Laboratories. The shooting sent the campus into lockdown for several hours as law enforcement searched for a suspect. UNC Chief of Police Brian James said the suspect allegedly fled Caudill Labs shortly after the incident.
Chief James said Caudill Labs was occupied at the time of the shooting. The building has since been closed for investigation.
Chief James said he believed Qi drove to campus before the shooting. Police said he was arrested as eyewitnesses reported him walking on Williams Circle around 2:30 p.m.
Qi is facing the following felonies:
- First-degree murder
- Bringing a gun onto educational property
The district attorney said Qi is a citizen of China and is here on a visa.
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