The quad on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill was filled with thousands of mourners Thursday night as the university community gathered to remember the life of slain student body president Eve Carson.

Carson was found dead around 5 a.m. Wednesday morning and identified Thursday afternoon, apparently the victim of a robbery. The Athens, Ga. native was shot multiple times with at least one shot to the head.

Police have no suspects at the time but did find her 2005 Toyota Highlander abandoned around 2 p.m. on North Street in Chapel Hill after a resident spotted the car near Hillsborough Street.

In a statement released Thursday, UNC Chancellor James Moeser Thursday said, “We are deeply saddened and numb with grief.” After inviting students out to Polk Place on campus around 3 p.m. that day, Moeser continued,

“We will plan a full memorial service at a later time. For now, it is important that we pause, contemplate our loss and give each other support.”

During the Polk Place memorial, Moeser attempted to console the hundreds of students that were in attendance. “It’s times like this that test us,” said Moeser. “Let us be the university that Eve Carson envisioned. Let us show the Carolina Way that she lived, that she talked about.”

After the vigil, UNC students reflected on Carson’s life.

“I just think that she embodied everything that it means to be a Carolina student,” said Jennifer Ackerman, a UNC freshman.

“She was proud to go here and she was extremely intelligent and she gave so much back to the community in everything that she did.”

Ackerman continued, “She reached out to people and she worked so hard to bring the spirit of this place to life.”

James Williams remembers Carson fondly. “Eve Carson meant a lot to this community, I was actually in an organization with her sophomore year when I came in contact with her, very nice very dynamic person,” said Williams, a senior African American studies major at UNC.

“Even though it’s a tragic event, anytime you have the chance to remember someone who has contributed so much to Carolina I believe it should be done.”

The death brought together an already tight-knit student body, many of whom managed to see positives amidst all the sorrow. “This afternoon the entire quad was filled with people, which is amazing and it just shows how much everyone cares,” said Patrick Smith, a senior media production major at UNC.

“It’s a terrible thing obviously but it’s a fantastic response from the university, and it just shows the impact she has had on everyone. My heart goes out to the family.”

Carson, 22, was elected student body president in February 2007 and was just over a month away from the end of her term. The Morehead Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa honor society member was a pre-med student double majoring in political science and biology.

News of the death hit home for A&T’s Student Government Association whose hearts went out to the UNC family.

“The death of president Carson is a shock felt across institutional lines. It is times like these that remind us all of how different our schools are, and yet we all mourn the same, ” said vice president of external affairs Marcus Bass.

“I have spoken with several student leaders from UNC and have shared our condolences as a school. Let us all be mindful of how short life is and how special these few years are. Our prayers are with the Tar Heels.”

Memorial plans for Carson have not been worked out yet but university officials did fly her parents up from Georgia to be with the UNC family.

Leroy Mikell contributed quotes to this story. The Daily Tarheel also contributed to this report

• Mike McCray