Shooting at South Carolina State University dorm kills 2, wounds 1; campus cancels classes and calls in state investigators

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Two men were killed and a third person was wounded in a shooting inside a dorm room at South Carolina State University, prompting an overnight campus lockdown and renewed scrutiny of safety measures at the historically Black school in Orangeburg. University officials said the shooting happened Thursday night inside a room at Hugine Suites, a campus housing complex, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division was asked to take over the investigation.

Authorities identified the men who died as Henry L. Crittington, 19, and Terrell Thomas, 18. Neither victim was a student at the university, according to officials. The wounded person is a student and was taken to a hospital, but the university did not release the student’s name or condition. No arrests were announced, and officials said there was no longer an active threat to the campus after the lockdown was lifted.

The university said the campus was placed on lockdown at about 9:15 p.m. and remained locked down for nearly eight hours as police responded and investigators secured the scene. In a statement, President Alexander Conyers offered condolences and said the school would provide counseling and support services to students and staff. Classes were canceled through Monday, and weekend activities were called off as the campus community processed the violence and investigators continued their work.

The shooting came a little more than four months after two shootings during homecoming events in October, including one near the same residential complex that killed a 19-year-old woman. After those incidents, the university said it added fencing and increased security patrols to better control pedestrian access, among other steps. The latest shooting has again raised questions about how weapons are entering campus spaces and what additional measures may be possible under state law.

State Rep. Hamilton Grant said the shooting should prompt a broader review of campus gun policy and security planning, while university trustees scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss next steps. South Carolina State, which enrolls roughly 2,900 students, has long held a central place in the state’s history, including the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre, when state troopers shot and killed three Black men during civil rights protests near campus. Officials did not suggest a connection between that history and Thursday’s violence, but the reference underscores how quickly events at the school can carry statewide attention.