College Student Charged in North Carolina Highway Shootings
Chapel Hill, NC
Unprovoked Attack Raises Concerns About Campus Safety
A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student has been charged with multiple felonies in connection with a series of shootings on a local highway that left five people injured, including two critically.
According to police, the suspect, 22-year-old Clayton Osbon, was arrested early Sunday morning after a brief pursuit. He has been charged with five counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
The shootings occurred over a span of several hours on Saturday night along a stretch of Highway 54 near the university campus. Police said Osbon fired at least 15 shots from a handgun at passing vehicles, striking five people.
Two of the victims were critically injured and remain in critical condition at a local hospital. The other three victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Osbon is a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill and a member of the university's football team. He has no prior criminal record.
Police said they are still investigating the motive for the shootings. They said Osbon was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident.
The shootings have raised concerns about campus safety. UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz released a statement condemning the violence and said the university is taking steps to ensure the safety of its students.
Additional Resources:
- WRAL: UNC-Chapel Hill student charged in highway shootings
- The News & Observer: UNC student charged in Chapel Hill highway shootings
- ABC11: UNC-Chapel Hill student arrested, charged in highway shootings
