Campus Alert Archive
SC State

Two Students Killed Inside a Hugine Suites Apartment: SC State's Deadliest On-Campus Shooting Triggers 8-Hour Lockdown

SCshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

At approximately 9:15 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 13, 2026, South Carolina State University placed its campus on lockdown after a shooting inside an apartment at the Hugine Suites student residential complex. Two young men were killed: 19-year-old Henry L. Crittington of Orangeburg, who died at the scene, and 18-year-old Terrell Thomas of Norway, who died at MUSC Orangeburg hospital. A third person was injured. The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) was called in to investigate; SLED stated there was no search for a suspect, indicating the incident was believed to be isolated.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
2
Injured
1
Institution
South Carolina State University
Hbcu · SC
~2,800 studentsSC State Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 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 ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction298 chars
SC State Alert: Lockdown in effect. A possible shooting has been reported in the Hugine Suites. All students, faculty, and staff must shelter in place immediately. Lock doors. Stay away from windows. Do not leave your current location. SLED and campus police are responding. More updates to follow.

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

The 9:15 PM EST lockdown timestamp is confirmed by multiple media outlets citing the university's initial lockdown announcement
The Hugine Suites is SC State's main student residential complex, making this a shooting in an occupied student living area
SLED -- South Carolina's statewide law enforcement agency -- was called in as the primary investigator, bypassing local Orangeburg authorities
The campus remained in lockdown for approximately 8 hours until 5:00 AM the following morning
UPDATESMS
Approximate reconstruction304 chars
SC State Alert Update: The campus remains on lockdown. Law enforcement is continuing to investigate the shooting incident at Hugine Suites. Two individuals have been confirmed deceased. A third person is receiving medical treatment. Do not leave your shelter. Counseling resources will be made available.

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

As of 11:50 PM EST, the lockdown had been active for approximately 2.5 hours with two deaths confirmed but suspect status still unclear
The update's language 'do not leave your shelter' indicates campus police were not confident the threat had been fully contained at that hour
Two deaths were confirmed by this point, making this SC State's deadliest on-campus shooting incident
No suspect was named or described in any public alert, consistent with SLED's eventual statement that there was no search for a suspect -- suggesting the shooter was likely known or had surrendered
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction315 chars
SC State Alert: The campus lockdown has been lifted as of 5:00 AM. SLED continues its investigation. Classes are canceled today, Friday February 14. Counseling services are available. All weekend activities are also canceled. Classes will not resume until Tuesday. The university is deeply saddened by this tragedy.

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

Lockdown lasted approximately 8 hours, from 9:15 PM February 13 to 5:00 AM February 14, 2026
Classes were canceled not just Friday but through Monday -- a four-day academic shutdown reflecting the severity of the incident
All weekend activities canceled, consistent with SC State's prior response pattern to major campus violence
SLED's decision not to identify or search for a suspect suggests the shooting was an interpersonal conflict where the suspected shooter was identified and cooperating
Context

Background

South Carolina State University, an HBCU in Orangeburg, South Carolina, experienced its most lethal on-campus shooting when two young men were killed inside an apartment at the Hugine Suites student residential complex on the evening of February 13, 2026. Campus police and SLED (the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) were called to the Hugine Suites at approximately 9:15 p.m. EST. The shooting claimed the lives of 19-year-old Henry L. Crittington of Orangeburg, who died at the scene, and 18-year-old Terrell Thomas of Norway, South Carolina, who died at MUSC Orangeburg hospital. A third person was injured. All three victims were men, and the shooting occurred inside a single room. SLED stated it was not searching for a suspect, suggesting the incident was isolated and the persons involved were known. The campus lockdown lasted approximately eight hours before being lifted around 5:00 a.m. on February 14. SC State canceled classes through the following Monday and canceled all weekend activities, and community leaders expressed deep concern. This shooting occurred at the same Hugine Suites location as a prior December 2023 shooting at SC State and was the most deadly in the institution's recent history.
Analysis

Key Findings

Two fatalities inside the Hugine Suites make this SC State's deadliest on-campus shooting and one of the most lethal HBCU residential-hall shootings in the South in recent years
SLED's statement that there was 'no search for a suspect' indicates an isolated interpersonal conflict rather than a random or ongoing threat -- yet the university maintained an 8-hour lockdown
The Hugine Suites had been the site of a prior shooting in December 2023, suggesting persistent security vulnerabilities in SC State's main residential complex
Classes were canceled for four days (Friday through Monday) -- a sweeping administrative response to a two-fatality event that signaled SC State's prioritization of community healing over academic continuity
Outcome
Two killed (Henry L. Crittington, 19, of Orangeburg; Terrell Thomas, 18, of Norway). One additional person injured. SLED investigating. No suspect search announced. Lockdown lifted around 5:00 AM February 14. Classes canceled Friday through Monday; all weekend activities canceled.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Two dead, one injured in shooting on South Carolina State University campus - NBC News
    nbcnews.com
  2. News
    South Carolina State University Shooting: Campus in Lockdown After 2 Killed - Newsweek
    newsweek.com
  3. News
    UPDATE: Two killed in South Carolina State University shooting identified - WLTX
    wltx.com
  4. News
    2 dead, 1 hurt after shooting on SC State campus; lockdown lifted - Live5News
    live5news.com
  5. News
    SC State University on lockdown due to possible shooting incident - Fox Carolina
    foxcarolina.com
  6. News
    Community leaders react: Two dead, one injured in SC State shooting - WACH
    wach.com
Tags
hbcusc-statefatal-shootingresidential-hallhugine-suitessouth-carolinasledtwo-killedorangeburgrepeat-location
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion