Zijie Yan: UNC-Chapel Hill professor killed by grad student Tailei Qi was shot 7 times, reveals autopsy

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA: A UNC-Chapel Hill professor who was killed in his office in August was shot seven times. Zijie Yan, who was an associate professor at UNC’s Department of Applied Physical Sciences was murdered by grad student Tailei Qi, 34, and has since been charged with the crime.

Qi faces charges related to the fatal shooting, which happened inside one of the North Carolina campus’s science labs on August 28, UNC Police said in a statement.

Zijie Yan suffered multiple gunshot wounds, reveals autopsy report

According to an autopsy report, Yan suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including to the head, face, neck, left arm, chest, and abdomen, as per ABC News.

He also reportedly had graze wounds to the right upper arm, left hand and left forearm. Police found Yan on the floor of his office, the outlet said.

According to local media outlet WTVD, nine shell casings were also found on the floor.

Following the shooting, the campus was put into lockdown. People Magazine previously stated that UNC Police had issued an alert stating that there was an "armed and dangerous person on or near campus."

Zijie Yan collaborated with the shooter on several papers

Yan was a leading researcher in nanoscience and nanotechnology, especially in the field of optical binding and "optical tweezers."

He collaborated with Qi on several papers, including one published in the month of July this year on LinkedIn. Yan’s work aimed to develop advanced nanorobots that could manipulate cells using light.

Yan obtained his PhD in Materials Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Before joining UNC as a faculty, he was an assistant professor at Clarkson University after postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago, as per the UNC website.

The motive for the murder is still not known

According to the investigation report, suspect Qi is still being interviewed by police and an intention for the shooting has not been announced.

The district attorney has said they won’t seek death penalty against Qi, according to local media outlet WSOC-TV.

Chancellor Guskiewicz paid a tribute to “our fellow Tar Heel” in a campus email shared on the university’s website following Yan's death.

“The wounds of this tragedy will not heal quickly,” the statement read in part. “[Yan] was a beloved colleague, mentor and friend to many on our campus. My leadership team and I have met with his colleagues and family to express our condolences on behalf of our campus. Please join me in thinking and praying for his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”