The U.S. saw yet another fatal shooting yesterday, this time at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. On Monday, Shortly after 1PM, chaos broke out on the campus of the prestigious university. Living in North Carolina, I watched live as dozens of police cars surrounded the university. Students initially were seen walking out with their hands up. The circumstances were unclear for over an hour and a half. I texted some of the people I know who attend UNC, and they responded by saying they were sheltered in place in a classroom. The campus was on lockdown during this time.
At a press conference carried by local news affiliate WSOC, the Chancellor of the University, Kevin Guskiewicz, confirmed the horrible news that one faculty member had been killed. He said that police responded to a shots fired call after 1PM One suspect, a graduate student, was eventually apprehended and put in custody. Guskiewicz lamented that this incident has damaged the trust and safety that we “often take for granted.” He expressed how the UNC’s community’s hearts are with the family of the victim along with those traumatized by this senseless act of violence. All activities including classes were halted for the day, and Guskiewicz noted that classes would also be canceled the following day. Furthermore, he said there would be more information about resources that will be provided to help people get through this tough time.
Then the UNC Chief of Police, Brian James, spoke to reporters. He said how he was sorry to be there under such sad circumstances. He reminded people that this is an ongoing investigation and they do not have many answers right now, including to the question of the motive. He reiterated that the suspect was taken into custody around 2:31 PM and they will release more information later. The building where this horrible act took place will be closed until further notice. Fortunately, he updated us that there were no other fatalities or injuries on campus.
As a native North Carolinian, I know how special UNC-Chapel Hill is to the fabric of our state. Its culture of excellence in academia and sports is a thing of legend. But the horror that I witnessed on the news today was quite sobering. It is a reminder that these incidents can happen anywhere and are happening all of the time. But it is also a reminder of how twisted the minds of the state’s Republicans are.
The state GOP just passed the ‘Slate of Hate,’ three bills targeting mostly trans people and trans youth specifically. They have been obsessed with stuff like trans girls in sports, an issue that impacts almost none of us directly. They do not give that same energy and urgency to getting rid of the guns in our communities.
North Carolina gun laws are nothing to be proud of. Open carry is legal in the state without a permit. The minimum age to purchase is just 18 years old. Earlier this year, Republicans overrode Democrat Roy Cooper’s veto in support of a pro-violence bill. This gun bill eliminated background checks for handguns that are conducted by local sheriffs’ offices. It went a step further, stating that people are allowed to carry guns during religious services at locations that also serve as schools. How weirdly specific.
So this is what we see! The shooter walked around UNC’s campus with a gun. A scary sight but this is what Republicans seem to want. From everything I see and hear, the GOP, at least in North Carolina, wants a place where everyone can have a gun and go about as they please. These talking points have real-world consequences. We will continue to see the ramifications of these policies and I do not see it getting any better. While they continue to tack on crumbs of logic, like gun storage awareness programs (part of that recently passed legislation), this is not getting at the root of the problem: It’s the guns, period.
If they were genuinely concerned about people’s safety and mental health, the Republican Party would work to eliminate guns, not trans people. But this is an unserious party that has helped reap very serious consequences for the state of North Carolina.
(featured image: Eros Hoagland/Getty Images)
