[ad_1]
Wearing the colors of their school, the students formed a sea of green and threw themselves into the Dale F. Halton Arena to gather together during a memorial service. They sang their alma mater and chanted "forty-nine years", nickname of the school.
Then they filled the courtyards around the arena to show unity, holding their candles.
"It's really very powerful, honestly, to see our community, our students, our professors and our chancellor, as well as everyone coming together to help each other and support the victims," said Brittany Moose, an elder, WSN, affiliated with CNN.
"We are" Charlotte Strong "," she says, referring to the often repeated saying and hashtag. "I mean just watch that night tonight, how well we have come together to be a family through it all."
Cards and posters thanking the first responders filled the tables in the arena.
The memorial service and vigil, which were led by students, comes as the police continue to investigate the shooting and try to find a motive.
Terrell was arrested without incident. As the police took him in handcuffs, he tilted his head back and smiled at the cameras.
Terrell faces two counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder, four counts of armed aggression with a deadly weapon and one charge of possession of a firearm on land for educational purposes and discharge of a firearm. gun on land for educational purposes, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said.
Detained without bail, he must appear for the first time in court at 13 hours. Thursday.
"Unfortunately, this is an incident that really affects all of our members – we can not really know why yet," Putney told reporters Wednesday. "It really seems like there was no specific person."
"And chance is more worrying," he added.
University officials identified the victims as Rami Al-Ramadhan, 20, from Saihat, Saudi Arabia; Sean DeHart, 20, from Apex, North Carolina; Emily Houpt, 23, of Charlotte; and Drew Pescaro, 19, from Apex.
Kristine Slade, a senior and one of the co-organizers of the memorial service, said the students would persevere and eventually shoot.
"Individually, we all face the same thing and we do things differently," she said.
She added: "However, as a collective, we are forming the" Niner Nation "and we are" Charlotte Strong "."
Slade moved away from the lectern as the arena cheered and took a moment to recollect himself.
"Sorry, moved," she said, shaking her head.
University Chancellor Philip Dubois, who has three adult children, has also become emotional among the families of victims and students in mourning.
"As parents ourselves," he said at the commemorative ceremony, referring to his wife, "Lisa and I mourn this senseless loss of young lives and share the anguish of their lives. parents, their families and you, their friends. "
Dubois said: "UNC Charlotte can not be and will not be defined by this tragedy," he said. "We must be defined by the way we respond to it."
The student body president, Chandler Crean, who also spoke at the memorial, said the presidents of the student body from schools in Florida, Virginia and the West Coast had asked him for to bring him comfort.
Crean's voice broke as he spoke. He wiped his tears.
"The tragedy of yesterday was a total shock," he said, "and the saddest day in the history of the UNC Charlotte."
Faith Karimi, Danielle Hackett and Pamela Kirkland from CNN contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link