University of South Carolina gives alert for active shooter on Columbia campus

An active shooter has been reported on the Columbia campus at South Carolina on Sunday evening. An alert was posted to the Law Enforcement and Safety page on the school’s website.

The alert noted the active shooter was reported on campus at the Thomas Cooper Library, and all were being urged to avoid the area. Public safety officials were on the scene.

“Evacuate the area or seek safe shelter and barricade yourself in a safe area as necessary until further notice. Defend yourself if you encounter the suspect,” the alert stated.

A subsequent alert at 6:47 p.m. ET indicated that the subject was reported to be a 6-foot white male with black pants. The subject was reportedly still in the area on the South Carolina campus at the time the alert was sent.

At 7:10 p.m. ET, another alert was issued. It stated the following: “No evident (sic) of an Active Shooter at this time. Police are searching. Please continue to shelter in place until there is an all clear.”

Meanwhile, the school’s Law Enforcement and Safety page was cleared of active alerts around the same time. You can view that page here.

Finally, WIS reported that there were no injuries reported and there were no confirmed reports of shots fired, according to a spokesperson at South Carolina. WIS posted a brief video interview with the spokesman, South Carolina’s AVP for University Communications Jeff Stensland.

“We received an unconfirmed report of an active shooter at the Thomas Cooper Library,” Stensland said. “A Carolina alert was sent out out of an abundance of caution. Right now law enforcement is clearing the building, going floor by floor.

“At this point we have no injuries and we have no confirmation that there actually was a shooter at the library. But, again, out of an abundance of caution, we’re going through the library to make sure. Have more for you soon.”