Man drives SUV into students at UNC.

[QuettaKid]

""CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Authorities say 23-year-old Mohammed Reza Taheriazar drove a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee into The Pit at the UNC-Chapel Hill campus around noon Friday, injuring five students and a visiting scholar""




http://www.wral.com/news/7651436/detail.html


and as this is all unfolding WRAL is also covering a "suspicious" incident, cops with guns drawn converging on an apartment complex.

[laruemtt]

1. "Mohammed"? oh boy,

here we go. :popcorn:

[QuettaKid]

2. I think he is Iranian. nt.

.

[acmejack]

3. It sounds like it.

Agent provocateur?

[Bucky]

5. I was kind of hoping he was from the UAE

:spank:

[MADem]

6. Reza is a Persian name, so unless he's being named for the

former Shah on a whim, I'd say your guess is correct! The last name is Persian as well.

[Igel]

34. And apparently it's one of those occurrences where

a conclusion a handy leap's distance away presents itself, and turns out to be not entirely inaccurate. I was sort of hoping it was some math student who was upset that his research needed to be abandoned because his advisor was moving on to greener pastures, and leaving him behind. But, no.

The OP's link is apparently periodically updated (so the story I read hours ago isn't the same one I read minutes ago ... isn't that special?), but http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=local&id=3958312 is likely to be more stable.

'Sources say Taheri-azar told police he was seeking retribution for the treatment of Muslims around the world, according to ABC News justice correspondent Pierre Thomas. Taheri-azar apparently told police he tried to rent the biggest SUV he could find to use in the attack.
'Taheri-azar told police Friday, "If you want to know why I did it, go check my bed at my apartment."'

Good. Communalism and religious hatred comes to America. Regardless of the psych tests (now, how exactly *can* they come back positive? "Yes, doctor, I tried to kill students I didn't know, and for all I know who were Muslim, because I was pissed because some Muslims elsewhere on the planet were persecuted. Allah wants me to, he said so. Where? The Qur'an. My imam said it.")

[Bucky]

4. Look at the news scroll on the right in that article. So many NC carwrecks

It's amazing how much damage cars are doing to life and property in just this one North Carolina community:

School Bus Overturns In Wake County
DNA Confirms Remains Are Those Of Missing Johnston County Man
Driver Identified In UNC Hit-And-Run
State Trooper Injured In Durham Chase
Krzyzewskiville Evicts Student Who Wanted To Sell Game Admission
National Guard Introduces New Plan To Recruit Soldiers
Planned Wake Adventure Park Not In Play For Nearby Residents
Car Crashes Into Durham County Post Office
Three N.C. Natives Make It To Next 'Idol' Round
Hearing Related To Wake School Fraud Case Scheduled For Friday
Johnston Authorities Expected To Release Findings On Death Of 4-Year-Old
Stolen Duke Basketball Tickets Found Online; Five Charged
One Injured In Downtown Raleigh Shooting
Fire Threat High For Triangle Area
UNC Students Hold Vigil For Student

Raleigh Durham must be the mayhem capital of America.

[MADem]

7. Folks who don't understand the "cruise control" concept, perhaps???

Hey, pal, ya still have to STEER the car!!!

[QuettaKid]

8. bomb threat.

apparently the driver of the SUV made a bomb threat regarding his place of residence.

[BR_Parkway]

9. That wouldn't surprise anyone who's ever driven the Beltway!

[Endangered Specie]

14. Triange driving has always been particularly hazardous

Triangle = (raleigh-durham-chapel hill)

It is an excellent place to learn how not to drive (by watching 95% of the cars on the road)

[ncrainbowgrrl]

10. more from the article. Glad I wasn't on campus today.

A student who witnessed the event, said that the SUV was going between 40 and 45 mph when it hit the students at the Pit, which is located in an open area surrounded by two libraries, a dining hall and the Frank Porter Graham Student Union on campus.

[LostinVA]

13. Yeah, that area's very popular/busy/crowded... damn!

[Endangered Specie]

15. Thankfully no one has been killed

seems like an SUV doing 40+ could have easily resulted in fatalities...


glad you are OK too :hi:

[ncrainbowgrrl]

17. Hi Endangered Specie- Long time no see!

How goes it?

[Endangered Specie]

27. incredibly busy... as usual

not much has changed :yoiks:

[LostinVA]

11. THE PIT? That's kinda bad...

[LiberalinNC]

12. The FBI is at the apt. complex along w/ Chapel Hill Police!

Swat team going in now, w/ oxygen masks. SBI is there also.

[QuettaKid]

16. anyone heard any more on this story?

last I heard they didn't find anything and that the suspect was acting out of anger at the treatment of muslims around the world.

[LiberalinNC]

18. That is what I heard, but my hubby heard that he threaten to have a bomb

in his apartment. I also heard he rented the Jeep to "run" down the students at UNC.

[omshanti]

19. someone I met (witness) said he ran down a man in wheelchair

when he missed people, he went back and tried to hit them again. The person I talked to also said the driver was dressed in a suit.

If you're not familiar with the place... the Pit refers to a sunken paved area flanked by the Student Union, the bookshop, a dining hall, and other buildings. It is very crowded during lunch time and is a popular place to hang out. There are no roads leading there, and no vehicular traffic. This man had to drive over parts of campus green to get there. He must have planned it all ahead of time (i.e. he didn't just snap and do it on the spur of the moment).

[LiberalinNC]

20. I had no idea what the pit was/is, but figured it was a popular spot

for students. I heard he planned this, he must have seeing that he was a past student of UNC - what I can't understand is WHY UNC??? of all the colleges in NC why UNC??? They are probably the most liberal university in the state. (Hoping that both my girls go there!!!)

[omshanti]

21. i hope your daughters go there too!

it's a great place to be.

:hi:
the random acts of violence can happen anywhere, sadly.

[LiberalinNC]

22. Thanks!!!!

BTW what does n/t mean????

[omshanti]

23. n/t means no text i.e. blank mesg (but I edited to add text, silly me) n.t

[LiberalinNC]

24. Thank you, I thought it meant something else

like Not true. I looked and asked many people what it meant, but couldn't get an answer. I appreciate your help. Go Tar heels!

[omshanti]

25. yes, off-topic but beat them Dookies!!

(I know it probably won't happen tomorrow though...)

[LiberalinNC]

26. Funny thing is I'm a patient at Duke and volunteer at the hosptial.

Had both girls at Duke, but want them to attend UNC!!!

[ncrainbowgrrl]

31. Leg's Go Tar Heels!!

:hi:

[marions ghost]

29. right

--makes no sense. He must have just snapped. This is a sad story...the guy must have known they'd catch him right away. I don't think he'll get off lightly--those people were lucky not to have been killed.

[LisaL]

49. Considering he called 911 and turned himself in-I would say he

knew they would catch him.
Or rather made sure they would catch him.

[Ben Ceremos]

32. Sounds like one man

doesn't appreciate the racist propaganda about Iran that makes the grade as news and information. One angry man with an SUV, now imagine 60+ million of them all ...Peace trumps war, always. (Good luck Useless A, stay away from the Persian Gulf if you know what's good for you...

[hollowdweller]

28. When will we ban these SUV's and save lives!

It would have been much harder for him to do damage in a Ford Focus

[GreenInNC]

30. damn Tarholes

WaHooWa

[davidinalameda]

33. is he a Dookie fan

:shrug:

[Lex]

35. A little update with a link for any following this story . . .

The FBI joined the case because Taheri-azar, a native of Iran, "allegedly made statements that he acted to avenge the American treatment of Muslims. The ongoing investigation will work to confirm this," said Special Agent Richard Kolko, an FBI spokesman in Washington.

Last month, Muslim students at UNC protested the publication in The Daily Tar Heel student newspaper of an original cartoon depicting the prophet Muhammad. Islam is interpreted to forbid any illustrations of Muhammad for fear they could lead to idolatry. The recent publication of a series of cartoons of Muhammad in European newspapers sparked violent protests in the Middle East and elsewhere.

The Muslim Students Association, which was among the leading critics of the cartoon, said Teheri-azar had never been a member of the group and denounced him on its Web site.

"Regardless of what his intentions prove to be, we wholeheartedly deplore this action, and trust that our fellow classmates will be able to dissociate the actions of this one disturbed individual from the beliefs of the Muslim community as a whole," the statement said. "Peace be upon you all."

http://www.wral.com/news/7651436/detail.html

[LisaL]

48. It's on 911 freaking tape. He says it on the tape, that he did it

to punish America. I heard it's played on TV today. There is no alleged about it.

[Greylyn58]

36. Here's a link to the Charlotte Observer story

on this:

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/14015547.htm

From the article, it says he made threats about hurting people because "he was upset about the treatment of Muslims by Americans."

[cantstandbush]

37. Nothing suspicious about an Israeli couple trying blow up Christian church

but immediately, this probable accident has everyone jumping on the anti-Muslim bandwagaon when this person is not even an Arab, but and Iranian.

[Pavulon]

38. Firecrackers

that cause no injury and someone running down people with a car and directly stating they acted because of american treatment of muslims in not comparable.

Hope he enjoys nc central prison.

[cantstandbush]

39. "alleged" statement attributed to the driver. Even FBI would not

verify this statement.

[Pavulon]

40. The police

leaked the statement. Then refused to release it as a police press release.

I live in Raleigh.

Taheri-azar, a native of Iran, "allegedly made statements that he acted to avenge the American treatment of Muslims. The ongoing investigation will work to confirm this," said Special Agent Richard Kolko, an FBI spokesman in Washington, The Associated Press reported.

THE FBI does NOT investigate hit and runs.

It is alleged because it is a criminal act, and he is presumed innocent

[winter999]

41. This is a terrorist attack

performed by an islamist extremist. Terrorism, droogies.

[silvermachine]

43. Sounds more like...

... a disturbed individual with some problems. While I'm not defending the act, I think I'll reserve judgement before labelling this guy Osama Mk. II....

[LisaL]

47. If the guy made a bomb and decided to blow the students up,

would you feel the same way? So, he used his car instead of a bomb. What's the difference?
As for being a disturbed individual, wouldn't you think that's true of all suicide bombers? Yet you wouldn't say they are not terrorists just because they are disturbed.

[LisaL]

42. They always say alleged because the driver is presumed

innocent at this point. Like, alleged killer, alleged rapist, alleged confession.

[Bassic]

44. Oh crap, you know that can't be good. nt

[flashdebadge]

45. I heard they might charge him with a HATE CRIME. Is that true?

[omshanti]

46. Update: UNC suspect cites 'will of Allah'

<snip>
Judge Patricia Devine asked if he had any questions at this morning's arraignment.
"I actually don't have any questions," said Taheri-azar, clad in a long-sleeve orange jumpsuit and leg shackles. "I am thankful you are going to hear this trial to learn more about the will of Allah, the creator."
After police arrested Taheri-azar Friday, he told them he acted to "avenge the American treatment of Muslims," an FBI spokesman in Washington said.
Six of the victims in Friday's attack were treated at a local hospital for minor injuries. Afterward, Taheri-azar called police and waited on a side street near campus. A police bomb squad also searched his apartment but would not say what was found.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/breaking_news/14031084.htm