A state House panel will meet Tuesday to hear from five universities about campus safety in the wake of Charlie Kirk's shooting death on a Utah college campus and a hoax shooting call at South Carolina's flagship university.
Police chiefs from five universities and state law enforcement will testify before the House Education and Public Work's Higher Education Subcommittee about current safety practices and possible needs.
The universities include:
- University of South Carolina
- Clemson University
- South Carolina State University
- Coastal Carolina University
- College of Charleston
As the subcommittee's chair and a parent to a student attending college, state Rep. Tim McGinnis said it was imperative to hold the hearing after Kirk's assassination.
The Horry County Republican said he hopes to hear about current campus procedures and the needs these campuses have.
"It's a shame we have to deal with this," McGinnis said. "Life's tough enough without having to worry about the safety of your child, or your child having to worry about their own safety when they're ... just going to school, trying to learn."
The 1 p.m. Tuesday hearing will be livestreamed on the Statehouse website.
Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative activist who founded the political group Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on Sept. 10 as he spoke outside on the Utah Valley University campus. Hundreds of students attended the event.
The suspected shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was booked on charges of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury.
Robinson is expected to be formally charged at an arraignment hearing Tuesday.
Vigils for Kirk were scheduled across South Carolina after his death.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
