The South Carolina State University Board of Trustees will meet in emergency session at 5 p.m. Friday following a shooting that killed two men and injured another. The incident prompted an eight-hour lockdown that was lifted early Friday morning.
The Orangeburg County Coroner has identified the victims as Henry Crittington, 19, of Orangeburg and Terrell Thomas, 18, of Norway. Crittington died at the scene and Thomas in the hospital. Neither were students, according to a university statement.
The man who was injured is a student of the university. His identity has not yet been released nor is there an update on his condition.
University officials also noted in the statement that the victims were visiting guests of the injured student. The shooting happened inside a room in the Hugine Suites housing complex.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating.
Classes are cancelled through Monday as well as all weekend activities.
The Thursday night shooting happened a little over four months after two shootings during homecoming celebrations on Oct. 4. One, which happened near the same residential complex, killed a 19-year-old woman. A man was injured in the other shooting.
In the aftermath, University President Alexander Conyers announced the addition of new fencing along the campus perimeter and additional security patrols to better control pedestrian access, according to a news release at the time. Crews were also set to repair damaged perimeter barriers.
Ahead of the university’s annual Youth & ROTC Day set on Nov. 1, the university announced safety and security measures, including a second layer of fencing along the perimeter between Hugine Suites and Goff Street and repairs underway along the shared boundary between South Carolina State and Claflin University.
South Carolina Public Radio will provide the latest information as updates become available.