The University of South Carolina (USC) issued campus-wide alerts at approximately 6:36 p.m. EDT on Sunday, August 24, 2025, 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.
USC maintains detailed active shooter response protocols, including the “Run, Hide, Fight” approach that prioritizes evacuation when possible, shelter when evacuation isn’t safe, and defensive action as a last resort.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
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