Breaking News Emails
Two people are dead and at least four others were transported to hospitals after a shooting at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte on Tuesday. A suspect is in custody, an EMS official and police said.
There was no information as to whether the dead and wounded were students, Lester Oliva with the Mecklenburg EMS agency said.
Charlotte police said in a tweet that the scene had been secured, that one person was in custody and that there was "no reason to believe anyone else involved."
The EMS agency tweeted that two of the injured have life-threatening injuries and two have injuries that are non-life-threatening. It was not clear if there are other victims.
The University of North Carolina Charlotte’s Office of Emergency Management tweeted shortly before 6 p.m. that "Shots reported near kennedy" and urging people to "Run, Hide, Fight. Secure yourself immediately."
Some students in the library described hiding under desks or turning out lights, and others said the phoned calling family members.
Jordan Peace, 19, a freshman, told NBC News in a phone interview that she was on the library’s second floor working on a final project due Tuesday night around 5:40 p.m. when she saw students running upstairs.
Peace initially thought it was a prank, until an intercom announcement warned, “active shooter, stay away from windows and hide."
A police officer then entered the library asking if anyone else was inside the library, and when he told those students to leave "and we all grabbed our stuff and ran out," she said.
Another student told the station that he was on the second floor of the library and someone ran in and yelled there was a shooter.
Tuesday is the last day of classes at the university, according to WCNC. The university has around 30,000 students, according to its website.
U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams, D-N.C., tweeted: "I'm devastated by the events at UNC Charlotte. I'm praying for the victims, their loved ones, and the entire UNCC community tonight. This senseless violence has to stop."
Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement on Twitter that he has been briefed by state law enforcement and was monitoring the situation. "Individuals in Charlotte should stay safe and listen to local officials," he said.
