>>>
>>> WHETHER IT'S FLORIDA, LAS VEGAS, NOW IT'S CHARLOTTE.
>> THIS IS A TRAGIC DAY.
>> THE SIRENS ARE STILL RINGING
IN MY HEAD.
WE HEAR ABOUT IT OFTEN.
>> YOU KNOW IT HAPPENS.
YOU KNOW IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY
POINT, BUT WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN
IT'S TERRIFYING.
>> IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE
SCARIEST FEELINGS EVER.
>> IT'S JUST SO CRAZY.
>> IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US
TO GATHER HERE TO MOURN THE --
--
>> -- WE'RE ALL JUST HERE.
>>> NOW AT 6:00.
THESE ARE THE
FACES OF TWO PEOPLE WE WILL
NEVER FORGET.
19-YEAR-OLD ELLIS PARLIER AND
21-YEAR-OLD RILEY HOWELL LOST
THEIR LIVES WHEN A GUNMAN OPENED
FIRE AT UNC CHARLOTTE.
HOWELL HAD NO OPTION TO RUN OR
HIDE SO HE DECIDED TO FIGHT
BACK.
HIS SACRIFICE SAVED LIKES.
>> DREW PESCARO, RAMI ALRAMADHAN
AND SEVERAL OTHERS AS YOU SEE
HERE, EMILY HOUPT AND 0-YEAR-OLD
SEAN DeHART THEY WERE INJURED IN
THE SHOOTING.
>> NINER NATION UNITING.
HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS, ALUMNI,
AND STAFF COMING TOGETHER FOR A
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL.
EVEN GOVERNOR ROY COOPER
STANDING IN SUPPORT WITH THOSE
WHOSE LIVES WERE FOREVER
CHANGED.
THANKS FOR STAYING WITH NBC
CHARLOTTE ON THIS INCREDIBLY
DIFFICULT DAY.
MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING US, IN
SHOCK AND GRIEVING.
>> IF THERE'S ONE THING WE CAN
TAKE COMFORT IN, IT'S HOW STRONG
THIS COMMUNITY IS.
WE'VE SEEN AN OUTPOURING OF
SUPPORT.
STUDENTS STANDING ARM IN ARM ON
CAMPUS PRAYING FOR EVERYBODY
AFFECTED.
>> FLAGS LOWERED AT HALF STAFF
ACROSS THE STATE.
THE CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS WEARING
GREEN IN HONOR OF UNCC.
>> ONE THING STILL UNCLEAR --
WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?
SEARCHING FOR A MOTIVE FOR THIS.
>> OUR CREW IS SPREAD ACROSS
CAMPUS AS STUDENTS, TEACHERS,
AND THE COMMUNITY ALL HEAL AND
MOVE FORWARD.
>> FIRST, ANCHOR FRED LIVE AT
UNC CHARLOTTE TONIGHT WHERE THAT
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL STARTED A
MOMENT AGO.
FRED, WHAT'S THE ATMOSPHERE
LIKE?
YOU'VE SEEN A CHANGE, I'M SURE.
>> WE HAVE.
THIS IS THE MOST ACTIVITY WE'VE
SEEN ON CAMPUS ALL DAY.
HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS MAKING
THEIR WAY INTO THIS CANDLELIGHT
SEEN ON CAMPUS ALL DAY. HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS MAKING THEIR WAY INTO THIS CANDLELIGHT@
VIGIL SCHEDULED TO START IN A
COUPLE OF MINUTES.
WE'VE SEEN STUDENTS AROUND THE
CAMPUS ALL DAY, BUT THIS IS THE
MOST WE'VE SEEN IN ONE SPOT.
ALL OF THEM HERE FOR THE SAME
REASON.
JUST INSIDE THE ARENA, HUNDREDS
OF STUDENTS, ALL OF THEM, IN
FACT, THE ONES YOU SEE HERE
GATHERING FOR THE CANDLELIGHT
VIGIL WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
TO HONOR THE VICTIMS.
BEFORE THAT, WE SAW STUDENTS
PLACING FLOWERS ON THE STEPS OF
KENNEDY HALL WHERE THE SHOOTING
APPED.
HERE'S THE LATEST.
UNCC WILL GO BACK TO NORMAL
OPERATION STATUS AT MIDNIGHT.
AND EMPLOYEES REPORT FOR WORK IN
THE MORNING AND WILL OPERATE AS
THEY WOULD ANY OTHER GIVEN DAY.
EXAMS REMAIN CANCELED THROUGH
SUNDAY.
THE COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES WILL
CONTINUE AS PLANNED.
FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY WE
LEARNED FROM ONE OF THE UNC
CHARLOTTE POLICE OFFICERS WHO
CHARGED INTO THE BUILDING TO
CONFRONT THE SHOOTER, AND HE IS
TALKING.
AND HE IS SAYING THAT THE
TRAINING HE RECEIVED WAS
BASICALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN THEIR
RESPONSE.
>> I'M PROUD OF MYSELF AND ALL
THE OFFICERS THAT RESPONDED TO
THIS SCENE.
NUMEROUS OTHER OFFICERS WERE
THERE INSIDE THE BUILDING TO
HELP OUR KIDS.
SO THE TRAINING PAYS OFF AND
THAT'S WHY WE DO IT.
AND I FEEL THIS COMMUNITY IS A
+@LOT SAFER FOR THAT.
>> Reporter: NBC CHARLOTTE'S
MICHELLE IS LIVE FOR US TONIGHT.
THE MAYOR SAYING IT'S IMPORTANT
FOR EACH OF US TO DEPEND ON AND
LEAN ON ONE ANOTHER DURING THIS
TIME.
>> Reporter: -- PEOPLE ACROSS
CHARLOTTE AND -- WE ARE SEEING
RIGHT NOW THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE,
LITERALLY, IN THE LAST 30
MINUTES HAVE STREAMED PAST ME.
A SEA OF GREEN.
THEY'RE ALL HEADING UP TO THE
CLOCK TOWER, HEADING INSIDE TO
THAT VIGIL WHERE THE GOAL
TONIGHT IS TO BE TOGETHER, TO
SOMEHOW FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MOVE
FORWARD AFTER YESTERDAY.
>> JUST DIDN'T SEEM REAL AT
FIRST.
I HEARD LIKE FIVE SHOTS AND I
WAS LIKE IS THAT REALLY SHOTS IN
MY CLASSROOM?
>> Reporter: HE SAYS HE STILL
CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED.
A GUNMAN OPENING FIRE DURING
FINAL PRESENTATIONS IN HIS
ANTHROPOLOGY CLASS.
AND HIS TEACHER STARTED
SCREAMING.
>> HE'S LIKE YELLING GET OUT GET
OUT.
I SAW THE PROFESSOR LIKE IN A
CROWD OF PEOPLE LIKE STAMPEDING
AT THE DOOR AND SAYING GET OUT
AND STUFF.
AND THAT'S WHEN IT KIND OF SET
IN, I GUESS.
AND I STARTED RUNNING.
I FELL DOWN TRYING TO GET OUT
THE DOOR BECAUSE THERE WERE SO
MANY PEOPLE.
>> Reporter: HE MADE IT OUT BUT
SIX OF HIS CLASSMATES DID NOT.
TWO FORTY-NINERS KILLED ON THEIR
LAST DAY OF CLASSES, FOUR MORE
HURT.
THE FIRST OFFICER ON SCENE, AN
UNCC POLICE OFFICER, HELPED TAKE
DOWN THE GUNMAN AFTER A STUDENT,
RILEY HOWELL, WAS SHOT AND
KILLED WRESTLING THE SUSPECT TO
THE GROUND.
>> THE TRAINING PAYS OFF AND
THAT'S WHY WE DO IT.
AND I FEEL THIS COMMUNITY IS A
LOT SAFER FOR THAT.
>> Reporter: IN THE AFTERMATH AS
AND I FEEL THIS COMMUNITY IS A LOT SAFER FOR THAT. >> Reporter: IN THE AFTERMATH A@
POLICE WORKED TO SECURE CAMPUS,
STUDENTS WERE LOCKED OUT OF
DORMS AND SEPARATED FROM
FRIENDS.
>> IT WAS, LIKE, REALLY
TERRIFYING.
I ALWAYS CONSIDERED IT TO BE
HOME HERE, BUT LIKE YESTERDAY I
WAS SO SCARED AND SO TERRIFIED.
>> Reporter: BUT THE STUDENTS
SAY THEY WILL GET THROUGH THIS
TOGETHER.
>> WE'RE LIKE A STRONG FAMILY.
+@
TOGETHER. >> WE'RE LIKE A STRONG FAMILY. AND IT'S LIKE A GREAT
UNIVERSITY.
AND THERE'S LIKE A LOT OF
SUPPORT THAT'S GOING ON.
BUT IT'S GOING TO BE HARD AND
IT'S GOING TO TAKE A WHILE.
>> Reporter: AND SO HERE'S JUST
ONE OF THE WAYS THEY'RE TRYING
TO MOVE THROUGH THIS TOGETHER.
THEY WERE PASSING OUT BUTTONS,
CHARLOTTE STRONG, A PHRASE WE'VE
HEARD ALL DAY LONG.
YOU SEE STUDENTS, FACULTY, STILL
+@
HEARD ALL DAY LONG. YOU SEE STUDENTS, FACULTY, STILL STREAMING INTO THAT VIGIL
EXPECTED TO START ANY MINUTE
NOW.
EVERYONE WE TALK TO, THE SAME
THING ALL DAY LONG.
THERE IS A LOT OF GRIEF BUT