SC State cancels classes Tuesday after meeting with students

ORANGEBURG, S.C. (WCSC) - South Carolina State University has canceled classes for Tuesday but will resume on Wednesday after its president met with students Monday afternoon following a pair of shootings.

During a briefing Monday afternoon, President Alexander Conyers said neither of the two shooting victims nor an 18-year-old Richland County man facing weapons charges were students at the university.

The shootings happened on Saturday night and left a 19-year-old, Jaliyah Butler of Saluda, dead. A man was wounded in a second shooting and a third male was hurt while running away from one of the shootings, authorities said.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said Matthew Daniel McCoy, 18, of Blythewood, is charged with pointing and presenting a firearm at a person and carrying a weapon on school property, but SLED has not yet said whether McCoy is believed to be directly responsible for any injuries reported in the shootings.

Conyers extended prayers for Butler’s family and for the recovery of the other shooting victim.

He said he and his family remained on campus throughout the weekend and spoke with students.

“I was impressed by their strength and their resiliency in the wake of these tragic circumstances,” he said.

Conyers said he would meet personally with students after Monday afternoon’s briefing to gauge their emotional state before deciding on whether classes would resume on Tuesday.

“Their mental health, their wellbeing is our number one priority,” he said. “We know at some point in time we must try to get back to some normalcy, but with that being in mind, we will continue to assess the situation.”

Conyers confirmed that one of the shootings happened in the area of Hugine Suites and the second happened in the area of Poplar Hall.

“In reviewing the incidents on campus for the past decade or so, I’ve come to the conclusion that most of our major incidents happen in the vicinity of Hugine Suites, and that’s because it’s a 750-bed, sprawling complex,” Conyers said.

He noted there has been talk since before he arrived on campus of placing a substation in that area, and said he found a location on Sunday that would suffice for a substation.

“It would be a hard office, a hard location that we expect to have a substation or community service office in the immediate vicinity of Hugine Suites within the next 30 days,” he said.

Classes for Monday were canceled to allow students time and opportunity to access counselling services on campus. Faculty and staff have been instructed to work their regular schedules.

Investigators say they do not currently believe the shootings are connected. They are asking that witnesses come forward and share tips either by calling 866-472-8477 or by emailing tips@sled.sc.gov.

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