UNC murder suspect requests new attorneys, competency motion filed

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The University of North Carolina graduate student accused of killing his academic advisor wants new attorneys to represent him.

During a hearing Tuesday morning Tailei Qi's current attorneys requested their client undergo a competency evaluation in the case.

Qi is charged with killing Dr. Zijie Yan inside a laboratory on campus on Aug. 28.

The judge overseeing the case advised Qi, who spoke multiple times during the hearing, to follow the advice of his lawyers.

"I don't want you to say anything else today. What I want you to know, is that you have two lawyers beside you who are willing to work for you and with you, and what they need from you is your cooperation and your help. Things will not go at the speed you want them to. Our court system does not work at any one person's pace or interest," the judge said.

The judge then ordered Qi to go back and work further with his attorneys. They then set a new court date tentatively for Nov. 14; Qi's attorney said they hoped to have a second mental health evaluation completed by then.

While the murder charge Qi faces comes with the possibility of the death penalty, the district attorney said he won't pursue that if the suspect's convicted.

The investigation into the shooting remains largely under wraps. Investigators in charge of the case have not spoken publicly since immediately after Qi was captured. At that time, law enforcement said they were not clear on a motive for the shooting nor had they found the gun used in the shooting. The Orange County district attorney confirmed on Tuesday that the gun had still not been found.

UNC administrators have set up an online portal to share feedback on the response to the shooting and what could've been done better.

Another gun scare recently took place on campus when police say a man threatened to kill someone inside the student union at the Alpine Bagel shop.

Students at the university are calling for an end to gun violence after the deadly shooting.