UNC Chapel Hill sends out 'all clear' after report of 'armed, dangerous person' near campus, suspect arrested
The alert comes weeks after a deadly shooting on campus
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill issued an "all clear" message to the campus community after making a second alert so far this semester about an "armed and dangerous" person near campus on Wednesday.
"All clear. All clear. Resume normal activities," UNC-Chapel Hill wrote on social media at 2:10 p.m. ET.
In a 3:20 p.m. message to students and staff, university administration announced that classes are canceled for the rest of the day, and all non-mandatory operations are suspended.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}At 12:54 p.m., the university alerted students to a report of an armed person on or near campus.
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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faced its second alert of an armed and dangerous person near campus this semester on Wednesday. (Eros Hoagland/Getty Images)
"If you are on or near campus, go inside and avoid windows," the Town of Chapel Hill wrote Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Alert Carolina warned, "Emergency: Armed, dangerous person on or near campus. Go inside now; avoid windows."
There were no immediate reports of shots fired, the university newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel, noted.
Chapel Hill Police announced that Mickel Deonte Harris, 27, was arrested at around 2:45 p.m. in relation to "an incident on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus earlier this afternoon."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Harris had outstanding warrants related to a Sept. 5 assault, police said.
The latest Alert Carolina update at 1:30 p.m. continued to warn of reports of an armed and dangerous person on/near campus. "Continue to shelter in place," it added.
UNC Police wrote on X about reports of an armed and dangerous person, advising to "continue to shelter, silence your phones, and check http://alertcarolina.unc.edu for information."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In a message on Facebook, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) said it was aware of a 12:54 p.m. message from Alert Carolina that stated, "Emergency, Armed, dangerous person on or near campus. Go inside now; avoid windows."
An alert warned of an armed and dangerous person near UNC Chapel Hill on Wednesday. (Eros Hoagland/Getty Images)
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"All CHCCS schools have been advised to enter ‘Secure Mod,’ which means the doors will be locked, people are not allowed in or out, and classroom instruction can continue normally inside," CHCCS Chief Communications Officer Andy Jenks wrote. "Stay close to your phone and email for updates as we monitor this new and ongoing situation."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The district later announced that dismissal will begin at its normal time and all after school activities will take place normally.
Tailei Qi, the graduate student suspected in the fatal shooting of a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faculty member, makes his first appearance at the Orange County Courthouse in Hillsborough, N.C., on Aug. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)
This comes just weeks after Tailei Qi, a UNC Chapel Hill Ph.D. student who previously studied in Louisiana and Wuhan, China, was charged in the deadly shooting of an associate professor in a chemistry lab building. The shooting sparked a campus-wide lockdown and a manhunt before the suspect's capture.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News Digital reached out to UNC Media Relations seeking comment.
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