Campus Alert Archive
SC State

Missed by Inches: SC State Sophomore Fires at Classmate's Head Inside Hodge Hall Dormitory

SCshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On February 6, 2024, a 19-year-old SC State sophomore fired a 9mm handgun at another student's head during a physical altercation on the second floor of Hodge Hall dormitory. The bullet missed and shattered a glass panel above an exit door, and the victim suffered only minor glass-related injuries to his feet. The shooter, Rolando J. Ifill Jr. of Charleston, was charged with assault/attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
1
Institution
South Carolina State University
Hbcu · SC
~2,500 studentsBulldog News / Rave Guardian
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTPush
Approximate reconstruction126 chars
SCSU ALERT: A shooting has been reported at Hodge Hall. Avoid the area. Campus police are on scene. Further updates to follow.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news coverage; SCSU was on lockdown from approximately 11:30 AM to 12:26 PM EST on February 6, 2024 after a report of a loud popping noise on the second floor of Hodge Hall; news coverage confirmed the alert instructed people to 'shelter in place as police investigate'
The shooter and victim were both enrolled students who got into a physical altercation before the gun was drawn
ALL CLEARPush
Approximate reconstruction150 chars
SCSU UPDATE: The situation at Hodge Hall has been resolved. One suspect is in custody. There is no ongoing threat to campus. Resume normal activities.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news reports; the all-clear came after Ifill was taken into custody
The victim was treated at the scene for minor injuries from broken glass, not a gunshot wound
Context

Background

On the morning of February 6, 2024, campus police at South Carolina State University responded to Hodge Hall dormitory after reports of a loud popping noise on the second floor. Two students had been involved in a physical fight when 19-year-old sophomore Rolando J. Ifill Jr. of Charleston drew a 9mm handgun and fired at the other student as the victim tried to flee. The bullet missed its target and struck the glass above an exit door in the corridor between Hodge and Davis Halls. The victim suffered minor injuries to his feet from the shattered glass. Ifill was charged with assault/attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. In response, SC State President Alexander Conyers met with all male students and announced enhanced security measures including a gun-sniffing police dog for random campus searches. This was the first of two separate shooting incidents at SC State in early 2024.
Analysis

Key Findings

The shooter fired at point-blank range during a physical altercation but missed, with the bullet hitting a glass panel instead
SC State responded by introducing a gun-sniffing police dog and holding campus-wide safety meetings
This incident occurred less than two months before a second shooting incident at SC State on March 29, 2024
Outcome
Rolando J. Ifill Jr. was arrested and charged with assault/attempted murder. The victim was treated by EMS at the scene. SC State President Alexander Conyers subsequently met with all male students and announced a gun-sniffing police dog would begin conducting random searches on campus.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    19-year-old charged with attempted murder after SC State shooting (Live 5 News)
    live5news.com
  2. News
    SC State student charged with shooting at another student on campus (WLTX)
    wltx.com
  3. News
    SC State addresses campus safety after Tuesday shooting (ABC Columbia)
    abccolumbia.com
  4. News
    SC State to ramp up security, campus adding police dog (Live 5 News)
    live5news.com
Tags
shootingdormitoryhbcusouth-carolinaattempted-murderweapon-on-campusstudent-on-student
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion