ORANGEBURG, S.C. (WCSC) – The University of South Carolina is taking steps to increase security on campus after a student was arrested following a shooting in an academic building on Tuesday.
University President Alexander Conyers met with all male students on Friday and plans to meet with female students at a later date to discuss safety measures on campus.
Gun-sniffing dogs will soon be conducting surprise searches on campus, following the lead of large universities in South Carolina and across the country. Conyers said the dog will protect students and faculty and act as a deterrent.
The president said educating students and communicating, as he did Friday, is key to mitigating dangerous situations.
South Carolina State University prohibits guns on campus, and Conyers says his top priority is ensuring a safe environment for students to learn and employees to work.
“Every student on this campus knows that if you're caught with a weapon, you won't be able to sleep in your bed that night,” Conyers said. “Every student on this campus knows that if they are found with a weapon on this campus, it is out of my control and in the hands of state law enforcement.”
The gun detection dogs are expected to arrive on campus and be ready for work within about a month.
Roland J. Ifill Jr., 19, of Charleston, was charged with assault, attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a crime of violence, South Carolina spokesman Sam Watson said.
According to an incident report, campus police were called to Hodge Hall around 11:45 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a “loud popping sound” on the second floor.
According to police, Ifill and the victim, both students at the same university, got into an argument when Ifill pointed a 9mm handgun in the victim's direction, leading to the assault.
He fired a gun at the victim as she fled the scene. Watson said the gunshot shattered the glass above the exit door to the hallway between Hodge Hall and Davis Hall.
According to the report, the victim complained of pain in his leg from the glass on the ground and was rushed to the hospital.
Ifill was granted a $50,000 bond Wednesday on the condition that he not trespass on the South Carolina campus unless accompanied by law enforcement, WIS reported.
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