The graduate student accused of shooting and killing a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor in 2023 has been found competent to stand trial.
Orange County Judge Allen Baddour ruled that Tailei Qi, the doctoral student charged with killing UNC professor Dr. Zijie Yan, understands the charges against him and can participate in his own defense.
Qi appeared in court alongside his two attorneys and a Mandarin interpreter. Prosecutors told the court their competency finding relied heavily on a recent mental health evaluation completed at Central Regional Hospital…