CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On April 30, 2019, tragedy struck the UNC Charlotte campus after a gunman opened fire in a classroom, killing two and wounding four others.

A survivor of that shooting, Drew Pescaro, shared the moments before the gun was pulled as a memorial is built to honor those involved.

As Pescaro recalls his last visit on the UNC Charlotte campus, he says a lot has changed.

"All the new logos and stuff, because they rebranded a little bit,” Pescaro said.

As years go by and new students enroll, there’s one thing that will remain the same: buildings that hold a painful significance, like the Kennedy Building. 

It's a harsh reminder that four years ago a shooting happened in that building.

"It's either you get used to it or let it control you for the rest of your life," Pescaro said.

It's a motto he lives by now after being one of the students involved. They were presenting when the shooter, Trystan Terrell, opened fire.

Pescaro described it unfolding in less than a minute as a bullet struck in his stomach.

"It's so hard to describe being shot, because it’s such an intense pain that your adrenaline and all that takes over,”  Pescaro said.

His injuries put him in the hospital for months. He underwent surgery and suffered through infections.

“The thing that I remember most distinctly was the gun powder," Pescaro said.

Players from professional sports teams visited him in the hospital, bringing him jerseys with his name on them as a symbol of strength.

But as his wounds heal, and time goes on, he doesn’t want what happened to be forgotten.

"Whether or not we like it, whether or not it’s something to be proud of, and certainly it isn’t, this is a part of our campus history,” he said.

In honor of that the university unveiled a memorial in front of where the tragedy happened to remember the lives that were taken, lives that were impacted.

“It's tough that it has a special meaning in one way, and a terrible meaning in another. At least make it know what’s being remembered here," Pescaro said.