Little more than a week after the death of a student who fell from a dormitory window, tragedy once again struck the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Friday.
Around noon, a recent UNC alumnus drove a rented silver Jeep Grand Cherokee through the Pit, a popular campus gathering place, striking bystanders and sending several to the hospital.
Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, a 22-year-old native of Iran who received his bachelor's degrees in philosophy and psychology from UNC in December, is being held at Central Prison in Raleigh under a $5.5-million bond.
At a press conference Saturday, Derek Poarch, campus police chief, confirmed that Taheri-azar told investigators he wanted to "avenge the deaths or murders of Muslims around the world."
Taheri-azar will appear in court Monday and face nine counts of attempted first-degree murder and nine counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill.
Five students and a visiting scholar were briefly hospitalized, and three other victims declined treatment.
Shortly after the incident, Taheri-azar called the police from a street two miles from campus to turn himself in.
Taheri-azar has cooperated with local investigators and was also interviewed by officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
He told police officials that an inspection of his apartment would illuminate his motives.
The State Bureau of Investigation found nothing seemingly related to the crime in his Carrboro apartment, according to several reports.
James Moeser, chancellor of UNC, and Peggy Jablonski, vice chancellor for student affairs, sent an e-mail about the incident to members of the UNC community Friday evening.
"This is a time when it is important for us all to remember the uncommon spirit that ties our campus community together so strongly," they wrote in the e-mail.
The Muslim Student Association released a statement condemning Friday's incident. The episode followed the Feb. 9 publication of a controversial cartoon in The Daily Tar Heel, UNC's student-run newspaper. The cartoon featured a picture of the prophet Mohammad that upset several MSA and other community members.
"Campus religious tensions have been running high as of late, and so we renew our commitment to work with the campus community and leaders to strengthen the bonds of friendship, cooperation, and faith in the community," the MSA release noted.
Several students are rallying Monday to "protest the news media's reluctance to label [the act] terrorism," according to a press release the participating students disclosed. Senior Jillian Bandes, a former DTH columnist who was fired after writing an editorial advocating racial profiling of Arabs in airports, is one of the organizers.
Many students on campus expressed shock in response to the news.
Freshman Neil Fisher, who witnessed the incident Friday, said the scene quickly reminded him of the death of UNC sophomore Keith Shawn Smith, who fell from Stacy Residence Hall Feb. 24.
"There is a period of reflection and mourning on campus," Fisher said. "These tragedies are inexplicable."
Fisher said he was five to 10 feet away from a girl who was hit and thrown "like a rag doll" off the hood of the car.
"I was amazed she was able to get up and walk," he said.
UNC freshman Jasmine Miller said she was confused when she heard an engine and saw a flash of silver in the Pit.
"At first I thought it was a rally for the Duke game, but when I heard people screaming and running, I knew it couldn't be," she said.
UNC's Counseling and Psychological Services is offering support to faculty, staff and students.
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