Campus Alert Archive
SC State

Two Homecoming Shootings Hours Apart at SC State's Hugine Suites: One Woman Dead, Lockdown Through Monday

SCshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the evening of October 4, 2025, two separate shootings hit South Carolina State University's campus during Homecoming weekend; one woman was killed and one man was hospitalized. The first shooting occurred at the Hugine Suites student residential complex, prompting a campus lockdown. SC State canceled the homecoming concert and all Sunday activities; classes were canceled Monday as the lockdown continued. A teenager was later charged and the lockdown lifted on Monday, October 6.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
1
Injured
1
Institution
South Carolina State University
Hbcu · SC
~3,100 studentsBulldog 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 reconstructionReconstructed from Newsweek coverage which directly quoted the line 'Hugine Suites residents who are not in the complex report to the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center'250 chars
SC State Bulldog Alert: Campus is on LOCKDOWN. Active police investigation near Hugine Suites. Hugine Suites residents who are not in the complex report to the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. All others shelter in place until further notice.

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

Newsweek quoted the operational instruction 'Hugine Suites residents who are not in the complex report to the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center' verbatim
Sent Saturday evening of October 4, 2025 during the SC State homecoming weekend, hours after the SC State vs. Savannah State football game ended
The Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center commemorates the three students killed in the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre — a deliberate institutional choice as the off-site refuge
UPDATEEmail+11h 30m
Approximate reconstruction274 chars
SC State Bulldog Alert UPDATE: The campus remains on LOCKDOWN. SLED and SC State Police are continuing to investigate two separate shootings from Saturday night. The Homecoming concert and all Sunday activities are cancelled. Students should remain in their residence halls.

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

Continued the lockdown through Sunday as SLED-led investigators worked the dual shooting scenes
Officially cancelled the headline 10 PM concert and the rest of homecoming Sunday programming
The two shootings were 'not believed to be connected' according to SC State and SLED statements
ALL CLEARSMS+1d
Approximate reconstruction239 chars
SC State Bulldog Alert: The campus lockdown has been LIFTED. A suspect has been charged in connection with the Hugine Suites shooting. Classes will resume Tuesday. Counseling and support services are available through the Dean of Students.

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

Lockdown was lifted Monday afternoon after a teenager was charged in connection with the fatal Hugine Suites shooting
Monday classes had already been canceled; the all-clear announced a Tuesday return to instruction
Counseling resources were specifically named — a recurring pattern in HBCU homecoming-violence alerts following the 2024 NCCU incidents
Context

Background

On the evening of Saturday, October 4, 2025, South Carolina State University's Homecoming weekend was shattered by two separate shootings hours apart on the Orangeburg campus. The first occurred at the Hugine Suites student residential complex, where a woman was killed. A second shooting injured a man elsewhere on campus, and a campus-wide lockdown was issued via SC State's Bulldog Alert system. The shootings came hours after SC State's homecoming football game with Savannah State and prompted the cancellation of the headline 10 PM concert and all Sunday programming. The lockdown extended through Sunday and into Monday, when classes were also canceled. The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) led the investigation. A teenager was charged in connection with the deadly Hugine Suites shooting on Monday, October 6, and the lockdown was lifted that afternoon. The dual-shooting Homecoming pattern echoed the October 2024 NCCU homecoming shootings — both at North Carolina and South Carolina HBCUs during signature homecoming events. SC State's archive of 2023-2024 alerts shows that this was its third campus-shooting lockdown in three years.
Analysis

Key Findings

Two separate shootings hours apart during Homecoming Saturday at the same HBCU — a pattern that paralleled the October 2024 NCCU dual-incident homecoming
The Bulldog Alert directed Hugine Suites residents who were off-premises to the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center, a building that commemorates the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre — a deliberate symbolic choice as the off-site refuge
Lockdown extended over 36 hours from Saturday evening through Monday afternoon — among the longer documented HBCU lockdowns of the 2020s
Headline cancellations included the homecoming concert and Monday classes — a model of conservative scheduling decisions during active investigations
Outcome
One woman was killed and one man was injured in two separate, possibly unrelated shootings on Homecoming Saturday. A teenager was later charged in connection with the deadly shooting. SC State canceled the homecoming concert, all Sunday activities, and Monday classes. SLED led the investigation alongside SC State Police.
Provenance

Sources

  1. national media
    South Carolina State suffers double campus shooting after homecoming game (Newsweek)
    newsweek.com
  2. News
    Woman killed, man injured after separate shootings at South Carolina State University (WRAL)
    wral.com
  3. News
    Teen charged following deadly SC State shooting, lockdown lifted (WIS-TV)
    wistv.com
  4. national media
    SC State University on lockdown after campus shootings leave 1 dead, another injured (Fox News)
    foxnews.com
  5. News
    SC State University campus on lockdown following reported shooting (Live 5 News)
    live5news.com
  6. News
    Monday classes canceled as lockdown continues after two SC State shootings (WLTX)
    wltx.com
Tags
shootinghbcusouth-carolinahomecomingfatalcampus-lockdowndouble-incidentresidence-hall
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion