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Suspect in professor's shooting at North Carolina university bought gun, went to range, warrants say

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Suspect in professor's shooting at North Carolina university bought gun, went to range, warrants say


CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — A University of North Carolina graduate student charged with fatally shooting his faculty adviser on campus five months ago had visited a gun range the day before the professor was killed and had bought a pistol, according to information from federal search warrants.

Tailei Qi, 35, was arrested in a residential area less than two hours after the Aug. 28 shooting of Zijie Yan inside a laboratory building at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Qi, accused of first-degree murder and a gun-possession charge, was found unfit for trial after a judge said two mental evaluations determined he likely suffers from untreated schizophrenia. Qi was ordered moved to a state mental hospital. His legal situation could change if his condition improves.

The search warrant contents that were made public last week reveal more details about Qi and what authorities say happened, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported. An FBI agent sought the warrants in the days after the shooting to search Qi’s phone, apartment and car.

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The shooting resulted in an hourslong campus lockdown and search for the suspect that frightened students and faculty who had just returned to the university system’s flagship campus for the start of the fall semester.

The warrants said a witness inside Caudill Laboratories heard an argument between Qi and Yan, a professor in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences, followed by five gunshots. Officers found Yan dead in an office area, and the witness saw Qi walking by with a gun in his hand, according to the warrants, which also said other witnesses identified the shooter as Qi.

Authorities found Qi about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the building. Qi denied owning a pistol but said he rented and shot one at a firing range with an instructor two weeks earlier, the warrants state.

Law enforcement respond to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill campus in Chapel Hill, N.C., Aug. 28, 2023, after the university locked down and warned of an armed person on campus. A University of North Carolina graduate student charged with fatally shooting his faculty adviser on campus five months ago had bought a pistol online and visited a gun range the day before the professor was killed, according to information from federal search warrants. Credit: AP/Hannah Schoenbaum

But a search of Qi’s apartment uncovered a notebook with information that led agents to identify someone who then told authorities he had sold a 9 mm firearm a few days earlier to a man he identified from a photograph as Qi, the legal documents say.

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Qi’s student visa prevented him from legally possessing a firearm, the warrants state. Qi’s arrest warrant from August accused him of possessing a 9 mm pistol unlawfully on campus.

An employee of a shooting range in nearby Wake County said Qi visited the range on Aug. 17 and Aug. 27, according to the documents. The employee also Qi rented a pistol that was similar to the firearm that he had purchased. Qi had purchased 9 mm ammunition at the range, the warrants state, and police recovered shell casings from 9 mm ammunition at the site of the killing.

Authorities have not released a motive for the shooting and said previously they had not found the weapon used in the killing. In paperwork he filled out to use the range, Qi listed Yan as his emergency contact, according to the search warrants.



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11 firefighters and 2 others injured after North Carolina house fire and explosion

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11 firefighters and 2 others injured after North Carolina house fire and explosion


SALISBURY, N.C. — Eleven firefighters and two other people were injured in a house fire explosion in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, officials said.

Salisbury Fire Chief Bob Parnell said firefighters did not have life-threatening injuries but were getting treated for contusions, concussions and smoke inhalation following the fire Monday evening. Two other people were taken to the hospital, but Parnell said he didn’t know their conditions and couldn’t confirm whether they were in the house at the time of the fire.

The Salisbury Fire Department responded to the single-family home around 5 p.m. and found it engulfed in flames.

Eleven of the 22 firefighters at the scene went inside the house to search for occupants and “get water on that fire,” which preceded the explosion, Panell said at a news conference.

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“It was enough force that the outside walls blew out, the roof came up and went back down,” Parnell said.

An investigation of the fire and explosion is continuing.



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Harrison Bertos scores in OT to help Washington beat N.C. State 3-2 and win first Men’s College Cup

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Harrison Bertos scores in OT to help Washington beat N.C. State 3-2 and win first Men’s College Cup


CARY, N.C. (AP) — Harrison Bertos scored 1:54 into overtime after Washington blew a two-goal lead in the second half, and the Huskies beat North Carolina State 3-2 to win the Men’s College Cup at First Horizon Stadium on Monday night.

It was the first national championship for unseeded Washington (16-6-2), who became the first team to win six road matches in the tournament — beating six seeded teams along the way under the guidance of coach Jamie Clark. The Huskies won in their second trip to the final after losing 2-0 to Clemson in 2021.

No. 15 seed N.C. State (16-3-4) made the final for the first time behind coach Marc Hubbard. The Wolfpack were aiming for the school’s first national championship since Jim Valvano led the men’s basketball team to the title in 1983.

Zach Ramsey scored unassisted with 1:12 remaining in the first half and Washington took a 1-0 lead into the break. It was only the second time this season that N.C. State trailed at halftime.

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Ramsey scored into an empty net after Wolfpack goalkeeper Logan Erb couldn’t corral the ball at the top of the box. It was Ramsey’s second goal of the tournament.

Richie Aman sent a cross to the center of the goal and Joe Dale knocked it in for a 2-0 lead in the 62nd minute.

Donavan Phillip answered in the 66th, scoring with an assist from Nikola Markovic to cut it to 2-1 with his fourth goal of the tournament. The Wolfpack entered 11-0-1 when Phillip scores.

Taig Healy scored the equalizer with 3:28 remaining with assists from Justin Mclean and Calem Tommy.

Egor Akulov had an assist on Bertos’ winner.

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Huskies keeper Jadon Bowton, the only remaining player from the 2021 squad, had five saves.

Erb saved six shots for N.C. State, which was the last school to concede a goal this season.

The temperature was 28 degrees when the match between two teams that had never faced each other began.



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North Carolina Shows Encouraging Signs Against USC Upstate

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North Carolina Shows Encouraging Signs Against USC Upstate


It was a closer matchup than expected, but the North Carolina Tar Heels eventually separated themselves in an 80-62 win over the USC Upstate Spartans on Saturday at the Dean E. Smith Center.

There were times of lapses and lack of attention to detail, which led to the Spartans scoring easy baskets in transition and in the half-court offense.

While speaking with the media during his postgame press conference, head coach Hubert Davis explained what he was seeing on the court from his players.

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Dec 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

  • “It’s a tremendous lesson,” Davis said. “I told them, I’m a visual learner. I can remember things, but if I see it, I remember for the rest of my life, and my hope is that they could clearly see that there is a connection between how you prepare and how you practice in relation to how you play. And I identify the areas that have to be there every day. It’s not missed shots. It’s not the turnovers. Everybody misses shots, everybody turns the ball over, everybody makes mistakes.”

  • “I just think the things that you have control over; I think those are the things that are non-negotiable,” Davis continued. “You have to bring it every day. That’s energy, effort, attention to detail, enthusiasm, and can’t use the excuse that we have final exams. I’m married and I’ve got three kids. I got prepared for this game early.”

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With that being said, here are reasons the Tar Heels should be encouraged following Saturday’s performance.

Luka Bogavac is Playing with Confidence

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Dec 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Luka Bogavac (44) dribbles as USC Upstate Spartans guard Mason Bendinger (9) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

These are the types of games for role and bench players to build confidence and find their footing in the offense. It was the second consecutive game in which Bogavac shot the ball efficiently, but this was the first time this season that it felt like he was playing with full confidence and rhythm.

The overseas transfer went 6-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-6 from three-point range, totaling 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists.

If Bogavac plays anywhere remotely close to this level during conference play, the Tar Heels will have a chance to compete for the ACC regular season title.

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Could Depth be a Strength?

Dec 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jonathan Powell (11) reacts after hitting a three point shot in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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Just a couple of weeks ago, we were questioning how deep this roster was. Without Seth Trimble, North Carolina’s guard play looked suspect, but over the last few weeks, a couple of players have emerged as potential impactful players.

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Freshman guard Derek Dixon has been the standout bench player in the previous two games, averaging 11.5 points, while shooting 53.3 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range.

Sophomore forward Jonathan Powell had his breakout game on Saturday, scoring 17 points while shooting 6-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.

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Dec 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jonathan Powell (11) scores in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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It appears North Carolina has at least two bench players who can produce double-digit points on a moment’s notice. With Trimble returning to the lineup soon, which will slide Bogavac back to the bench, the Tar Heels have the flexibility to incorporate eight players into the rotation.

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