2 killed, 1 injured in shooting at South Carolina State University housing complex

Two men were killed and another was wounded in a shooting inside a residential complex at South Carolina State University on Thursday night, prompting a lockdown that lasted nearly eight hours, according to the university.

The shooting occurred inside a room at the Hugine Suites housing complex on campus in Orangeburg. The campus was placed on lockdown at about 9:15 PM and the order was lifted around 5 AM on Friday, the university said.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating the case. In a statement, the agency said one man died at the scene and another died later at a hospital. The condition of the wounded man was not immediately known.

Authorities have not released the identities of the two men who died. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said further information would come from the Orangeburg County Coroner’s Office, the Associated Press reports. Messages seeking comment were left at the coroner’s office.

Witness recounts chaotic moments

Kaya Mack told WLTX-TV she had just completed a food delivery on campus when she heard gunshots and saw police vehicles entering through a gate.

“Their loud sirens kind of shook me,” Mack said, according to the Associated Press. “We were looking around, me and other people on campus, we’re all looking around like ‘What’s going on?’”

Investigators remained on site overnight, and law enforcement officers patrolled the campus and nearby areas.

Classes canceled, counselors made available

The university canceled classes on Friday and said counselors would be available to students.

The shooting comes a little over four months after two separate shootings during homecoming celebrations on October 4. One of those incidents, which occurred near the same residential complex, left a 19-year-old woman dead. A man was injured in the other shooting. Several people were later arrested on gun-related charges in connection with the October incidents, the Associated Press reported.

Following the October shootings, university President Alexander Conyers announced additional security measures, including new fencing along the campus perimeter and increased patrols to control pedestrian access. The university also said at the time that damaged perimeter barriers would be repaired.

Ahead of the university’s Youth and Reserve Officers' Training Corps Day scheduled for Nov. 1, officials said a second layer of fencing would be added between Hugine Suites and Goff Street. Repairs were also underway along the shared boundary between South Carolina State University and Claflin University.

Founded in 1896, South Carolina State University is South Carolina’s only public historically Black university and enrolls more than 2,900 students, according to its website.

The campus community recently marked the 58th anniversary of the Orangeburg Massacre. On Feb. 8, 1968, officers opened fire on a crowd of Black students who had rallied after protesting segregation at a local bowling alley, killing three young men.

Authorities have not announced any arrests in connection with Thursday night’s shooting. The investigation remains ongoing, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
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