President Vincent Price sent an email to the University offering condolences to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte community after a gunman opened fire on the UNC Charlotte campus Tuesday afternoon.
On UNC Charlotte's last day of classes, a gunman—suspected to be 22-year-old Trystan Terrell—opened fire in a classroom Tuesday a little before 6 p.m., killing two people and wounding four others. In his Wednesday morning email to the Duke community, Price offered support for students affected by the shootings and reiterated Duke's commitment to preparing for active shooter situations and maintaining a safe campus.
"We have been in touch with officials at the UNC system to offer ongoing support and express condolences," Price wrote. "To those at Duke with family and friends in Charlotte we offer our support as well, with counseling available in this difficult time.”
Price explained that the Duke University Police Department regularly trains for active shooters on campus and has established "robust and extensive protocols" for communicating such dangers to the Duke community.
Flags on Duke's campus have been lowered in response to the shooting, per a request from Gov. Roy Cooper to lower state and university flags.
Terrell is facing charges that include two counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder and four counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. He is also charged with possession of a firearm and discharging a firearm on educational property.
Terrell was an undergraduate majoring in history at UNC Charlotte but dropped out earlier this semester.
"We are resolutely committed to protecting the Duke community from harm," Price wrote in the email. "In the aftermath of the tragic events in Charlotte, we will continue to strive to make our campus even safer for everyone who studies, visits or works here."
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