Thousands mourn slain UNC student; cops search for killer

(CNN) -- Thousands of students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill gathered Thursday to remember student body president Eve Carson, who was shot and killed in a suburban neighborhood near campus.

"We've lost someone who we cherish and love. We're all in a state of shock," UNC Chancellor James Moeser told the students, who had gathered on the school's quad late in the afternoon under a cloudless sky in the grassy center of campus.

"The death of any parent's child or any student is a tragedy, but this is a tragedy magnified and multiplied by the number and depths of the relationships, meaningful relationships, that Eve Carson had on this campus," he said.

"Eve Carson personified the Carolina spirit. ... She felt the very pulse and heartbeat of this university." Watch a friend remember Carson »

Thousands gathered again hours later for a candlelight vigil in the campus pit -- a common meeting place for students, CNN affiliate WRAL reported.

The Chapel Hill Police Department confirmed earlier Thursday that Carson, 22, had been shot and killed.

Officers responding to a report of gunshots around 5 a.m. Wednesday, in a neighborhood about a mile from campus, found her body lying in an intersection, police said.

Police have no suspects, said Chapel Hill Police Chief Brian Curran, who added that it was premature to discuss possible motives.

"What it feels like was a fairly random crime," he told reporters.

Carson's blue 2005 Toyota Highlander was found about a mile from where her body was discovered, according to The Associated Press.

Toby Rice, of Chapel Hill, told AP his wife spotted the car and phoned 911. "We saw it on the news and we heard the woman is the president of the student body, and she goes, 'Oh my God, I just found the car,'" Rice said.

Authorities believe the vehicle was stolen during the crime, and Curran said he was hopeful that it would yield clues in the investigation.

Carson, a UNC senior and native of Athens, Georgia, was heavily involved in campus affairs. A pre-med student double majoring in political science and biology, she was a recipient of the university's prestigious Morehead Scholarship and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, according to a statement from UNC.

"She has been taken from us in a terrible act of violence," Moeser told the students, who stood and sat somberly in front of him, some holding yellow daisies.

"We are all hurting. We are all grief-struck, stunned," he said. Watch authorities describe finding the student's body »

He said counselors will be made available for students, with nearby Duke University sending additional counselors to help.

Chapel Hill investigators have been in contact with counterparts in Alabama, where another female student from Georgia was found fatally shot on a road near the Auburn University campus Tuesday night.

"Even though the homicides on the surface may look similar, it appears to be unlikely that they're connected," Curran said.

An August YouTube video from a student-produced television news program, "Carolina Week," shows Carson, smiling and gregarious, welcoming students back from summer break. She gave a video tour of the student legislative and executive offices.

"I've really found that my experience has been enriched by the ways that we give back to our communities and our campus," she said on camera, sitting in her office, which overlooked one of the main roads through the university.

"Also, I personally invite you to come hang out with me," she said, swiveling in her chair. "I spend a lot of time in this office, and I love saying, 'hi,' and meeting new people. If I can help you, or if I can help you figure out how you want to get involved on campus, please come by, and let's talk."

Moeser urged students to strive for the example that Carson set.

"Let us be the university that Eve Carson envisioned," he said. E-mail to a friend

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