UNC Chapel Hill accused shooter Tailei Qi found unfit for trial, referred to mental health facility

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The man accused of shooting and killing a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor in August was deemed unfit to stand trial and referred to a mental health facility Monday. 

Tailei Qi, a UNC Chapel Hill Ph.D. student who previously studied in Louisiana and Wuhan, China, allegedly shot and killed Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences, inside Caudill Labs, a chemistry laboratory building on Aug. 28, 2023, prompting an hours-long campus lockdown until his arrest in a nearby town. 

According to several reports, Qi was ruled "incapable in proceeding to trial" by reason of mental illness during a court proceeding on Monday. 

UNC-CHAPEL HILL FACULTY MURDER: WHO IS SUSPECT TAILEI QI?

Suspect Tailei Qi appears in court after allegedly shooting and killing a UNC college professor in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Aug. 29, 2023. (Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The first-degree murder charge came with the possibility of the death penalty, but the district attorney had said his office would not pursue the death penalty if Qi was convicted, WTVD reported. 

UNC-Chapel Hill associate professor Zijie Yan "was a beloved colleague, mentor and friend to many on our campus," UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said in a statement. He was allegedly shot and killed by Ph.D. student Tailei Qi. (UNC-Chapel Hill)

UNC-CHAPEL HILL SHOOTING SUSPECT TAILEI QI APPEARS IN COURT FOR FIRST TIME

Orange County Superior Court Judge Alyson Grine ruled Monday that Qi demonstrated delusional thinking, experienced auditory hallucinations and paranoia, engaged in self-harm while in detention, and showed behavior consistent with severe mental illness, according to The News & Observer. 

Tailei Qi, the graduate student suspected in the fatal shooting of a university faculty member, makes his first appearance at the Orange County Courthouse in Hillsborough, North Carolina, Aug. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)

Two separate mental health evaluations reportedly found that the suspect likely suffers from untreated schizophrenia, rendering him unable to cooperate with his legal counsel. 

The judge ruled Monday that Qi will be committed to Central Regional Hospital in Butner, North Carolina. 

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The court said doctors there must notify the district attorney if Qi's condition improves so that court proceedings may continue.