Students at the University of South Carolina faced a tense Sunday evening after an emergency alert warned of a possible active shooter near the Thomas Cooper Library on the Columbia campus.
The first alert, sent just after 6:45 p.m., urged students to evacuate the area, find shelter, and barricade themselves if needed. Officials also shared a suspect description: a white male, about 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall, wearing black pants.
“Defend yourself if you encounter the suspect,” the message read, stressing that students must follow all commands from public safety officers.
While no shots had been reported, police launched a thorough search of nearby buildings. Less than an hour later, a follow‑up alert stated there was “no evidence of an active shooter at this time” but urged students to keep sheltering until an all‑clear was issued.
The university, located in the heart of Columbia — a city of nearly 145,000 people — is home to about 38,000 students.
