U.N.C. Charlotte Student Couldn’t Run, So He Tackled the Gunman

The university identified the injured students as Sean DeHart, 20, and Drew Pescaro, 19, both of Apex, N.C.; Emily Houpt, 23, of Charlotte; and Rami Alramadhan, 20, of Saihat, Saudi Arabia. Three remained hospitalized Wednesday evening.

The attack came during a particularly turbulent decade for Charlotte, North Carolina’s largest city and a banking hub hit hard by the Great Recession. Over the last 10 years, it has seen a mayor resign over corruption charges, rioting over a police officer’s killing of a black man, and been at the center of a political battle over transgender rights.

In a news conference, the city’s mayor said that over the years, she has heard mayors across the country talk about the impact of mass shootings in their cities. On Wednesday, it was her turn.

“We know a tragedy like this can divide a community or bring us together,” said Mayor Vi Lyles, a Democrat. “It is our choice of how we move forward.”

On Wednesday, the university — typically lively and festive — felt “dull and emotionless,” said Devin Chase Martin, 23, a student who had attended a history class with Mr. Terrell but did not know him personally. At an evening vigil, about 7,500 people, mostly students, packed into Halton Arena, where the 49ers play basketball, to grieve. Gov. Roy Cooper and other state and local officials attended.

Some students, unsure how the attack was unfolding Tuesday, spent hours hiding in classrooms before they realized they were safe. They, too, spent Wednesday recovering.

Philip L. Dubois, the university’s chancellor, said the school would continue with graduation ceremonies that are scheduled to begin this weekend. One of the students who was injured, Ms. Houpt, is among those set to graduate, and Mr. Dubois said she would cross the stage.