[chris]

Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, born on May 5, 1983, in Tehran, was involved in a notorious attack at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill in 2006. He drove a rented Jeep through a crowd of students, injuring nine people. Taheri-azar claimed he was trying to avenge the deaths of Muslims overseas and followed the example of Mohammad Atta, a role model he admired. His actions were widely condemned by the local Muslim community, and he was characterized as "cantankerous and unorthodox in his practice of Islam," not adhering to standard Islamic practices during prayers on campus.

Taheri-azar was sentenced on August 26, 2008, to a prison term of 26 years and 2 months to 33 years after pleading guilty to nine counts of attempted first-degree murder. He did not express remorse during the trial, and his sentence reflected the severity of his actions and their impact on the victims and the community. His projected release date is in April 2032​​​​​​​​.