An active shooter was reported at the University of South Carolina’s Columbia campus.
A shelter-in-place alert was issued campus-wide at approximately 6:45 pm ET.
The university’s emergency notification account posted at 6:47 pm that the alleged shooter was spoted at the library.
Urgent Carolina Alert: Active Shooter at Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus. Subject reported as 6ft white male with black pants. https://t.co/veWauKEwzq.
— Carolina Alert (@CarolinaAlert) August 24, 2025
However, the school later said there is “no evidence[ce] of an active shooter”
Urgent Carolina Alert: No evident of an Active Shooter at this time. Police are searching. Please continue to shelter in place until there is an all clear.
— Carolina Alert (@CarolinaAlert) August 24, 2025
Many on social media are now calling the incident a hoax.
It is unclear if anybody was injured or killed at this time.
Per Newsweek:
The University of South Carolina (USC) issued campus-wide alerts at approximately 6:45 p.m. EDT on Sunday, reporting an active shooter at the Thomas Cooper Library on the Columbia campus. The suspect is described as a 6-foot-tall white male wearing black pants, with authorities stating he is “still in the area.”
Multiple police departments are responding to the incident, with USC Police Department and other law enforcement agencies on the scene. The university’s Carolina Alert system has issued multiple warnings instructing students, faculty, and staff to avoid the Thomas Cooper Library area.
The Carolina Alert system has issued specific safety instructions: “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. Obey public safety officials’ commands.”
The alert system notes that it “does not confirm whether a shooting has happened,” but urges comprehensive safety precautions including shelter-in-place protocols. The university has directed community members to monitor www.sc.edu/CarolinaAlert and local media for updates.
This is a developing story.
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