Key takeaways:
- Tailei Qi, a 34-year-old graduate student, fatally shot Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the school’s department of applied physical sciences.
- Emmy Martin, the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper The Daily Tar Heel, came up with the idea of displaying real text messages exchanged by students during the hours of lockdown on the cover of the paper.
- The Daily Tar Heel’s coverage of the shooting was a reminder of the impact of gun violence and the need for gun control measures to protect students and faculty on college campuses.
On Monday, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was rocked by a deadly shooting on campus. Tailei Qi, a 34-year-old graduate student, entered the Caudill Laboratories and fatally shot Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the school’s department of applied physical sciences.
The shooting sent shockwaves throughout the campus, leaving students in a state of panic. Emmy Martin, the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper The Daily Tar Heel, was in her second week in the position when the shooting occurred.
In response to the tragedy, Martin came up with the idea of displaying on the cover of the paper a string of real text messages exchanged by students during the hours of lockdown. The messages, which were sent by students to their loved ones, showed the agonizing hours of fear and uncertainty that the students experienced.
The Daily Tar Heel’s front page featured a copy of the text messages, accompanied by a headline that read “LOADING ERROR LOADING.” The headline was meant to convey the feeling of helplessness that the students experienced during the lockdown.
The Daily Tar Heel’s creative response to the tragedy was a powerful reminder of the impact of gun violence and the importance of student journalism. The paper’s coverage of the shooting was a fitting tribute to the life of Zijie Yan, and a reminder of the need for gun control measures to protect students and faculty on college campuses.
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