On Thursday, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) charged Jimmy Lee Thompson, Jr., 18 of West Columbia with carrying a weapon on school property.
The SLED investigation was requested by the South Carolina State University Department of Public Safety. Thompson, Jr. was booked into the Orangeburg County Detention Center following his arrest and released on bond.
According to arrest warrants provided by SLED, Thompson was found in a common area of the Hugine Suites at South Carolina State University on Oct. 4 with a loaded, FN brand handgun underneath a chair. Documents state Thompson told a SLED agent that he was sleeping in the chair at the time.
Witnesses also reportedly said he was the only person in the common area.
A 19-year-old Saluda woman died and one man was injured on Saturday in two separate shootings during homecoming weekend on South Carolina State University's campus.
Orangeburg County Coroner Sean Fogle said Jaliyah Butler was pronounced dead at Medical University of South Carolina Health Orangeburg. An autopsy is scheduled for later this week, Fogle said.
SLED’s investigations into two shootings that occurred at S.C. State are active and ongoing. Anyone with information should call SLED at (866) 472 – 8477 and/or email SLED at tips@sled.sc.gov.
The FBI is providing technical assistance to SLED with digital media analysis. Anyone with cellphone video or any other multimedia recordings of the incidents is encouraged to upload media to www.fbi.gov/scstateuniversityshootings.