TWO CONFIRMED DEAD IN APPARENT MURDER-SUICIDE …
|| By FITSNEWS || Two people – a shooter and a victim – are dead after gunfire erupted at the University of South Carolina’s new school of public health building, located on Assembly Street in downtown Columbia, S.C. (just a block away from the S.C. State House complex).
The University issued a “SHORS (sic) FIRED” alert shortly before 1:30 p.m. EST on Thursday – right around the time S.C. governor Nikki Haley was holding a press event at the State House that had to be cut short due to concerns for her safety.
“Seek safe shelter,” the school’s alert stated. “Obey officials.”
FITS began receiving word of the incident right around the time the alarm was sounded – along with unconfirmed reports of a possible murder-suicide.
“My son just texted me there is a shooter on (the USC) campus,” one of our sources said. “Rumors of a murder/suicide.”
(UPDATE: REPORTS CONFIRMED).
Sources tell FITS the victim was associate professor Raja Fayad, head of the applied physiology division of the school’s Department of Exercise Science. The shooter is alleged to have been the professor’s graduate assistant, a female doctoral student.
Here is a screen capture from Fayad’s faculty page …
(Click to enlarge)
(Cap via University of South Carolina)
“She came in while he was teaching,” one source told FITS. “And when she came in, they started arguing, and when she pulled the gun, he yelled for the class to run. She shot him as he was trying to leave.”
When the gunshots rang out, professors inside the building followed school protocol by locking the doors to their classrooms. In fact the entire school was placed on lockdown in the immediate aftermath of the report as City of Columbia, S.C. police department officials and other law enforcement agencies (including the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, S.C. State Law Enforcement Division and the U.S. Marshal’s Office) responded.
Photos posted to social media (below) showed students using chairs to barricade doors as AR-15-wielding SWAT members surrounded the building.
At 2:15 p.m. EST – less than an hour after the initial alert – the all clear was sounded.
“Law Enforcement have determined that there is no longer an existing threat within the School of Public Health,” the school reported. “The building remains closed at this time. All surrounding streets are closed.”
The University of South Carolina police department is the lead agency investigating the incident, although SLED took the lead in addressing members of the media.
“There was no active shooter other than the two deceased,” agency spokesman Thom Berry told reporters, adding the incident “appeared to be a murder-suicide.”
This week’s shooting comes three months after another murder-suicide at an off-campus housing facility claimed the life of a 20-year-old Diamoney Greene, a USC criminology student.
UPDATE …
MURDER-SUICIDE REPORTING CONFIRMED.
UPDATE II …
COMMENTARY …
SHOOTINGS HIGHLIGHT GENERATIONAL PROBLEM (LIZ GUNN)
SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE …
To the family of Dr. Raja Fayad, prayers go out to you in your time of need. #PrayForUSC @UofSC #ForeverToThee #Gamecocks #TogetherUSC
— Arulram Sriram (@ArulSriram) February 5, 2015
SLED PIO addressing media. ‘Appears to be a murder-suicide.. Isolated incident at USC school of health.’ pic.twitter.com/AOxv1YUVRl
— Cola Police Dept. SC (@ColumbiaPDSC) February 5, 2015
ALL CLEAR SOUNDED … #USCShooting
— Will Folks aka Sic (@fitsnews) February 5, 2015
#UofSC student @rachel_bennett7‘s classroom barricade photos: pic.twitter.com/FEOK5oKX7l
— News 19 WLTX (@WLTX) February 5, 2015
SAFETY ALERT: SHOTS FIRED PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH BUILDING. pic.twitter.com/uemQDlPWNU
— DrinkingTicket ® (@DrinkingTicket) February 5, 2015
Thinking of everyone around USC and the Statehouse. Be safe out there. #forevertothee
— Bryan Haskins (@HaskinsBryan) February 5, 2015
Call/text your parents, #gamecock students.
— Tim Cooper (@tcooper185) February 5, 2015
Praying for safety of students, staff, law enforcement & media. Officers say shooter is inside USC campus building. Stay with @wltx
— Ashley Izbicki (@AshleyIzbicki) February 5, 2015
56 comments
Hearing murder-suicide
WELCOME TO BEAUTIFUL COLUMBIA!
Are we talking about the Country or the City, not that there is much difference
Way better cocaine in Colombia.
Didn’t happen. USC officials amd SC Legislators don’t trusy CWP holders to be armed on campus. No murderer or armed robber would risk a weapons charge by going on campus armed. Impossible that this happened, say I.
and
trust
Wait, was it a good guy or a bad guy with the gun?
If it isn’t me, must be a bad guy. I’ll unload my clip and ask him while switching to the next one.
Your clip? Do you have an M1 Garand?
Obviously, you’ve never shot a gun before, have you?
Yeah but it did… I was there…
It was a woman! Did you READ the article? And you think it didn’t happen … why exactly genius? It was two people … the professor and a woman … I’m thinking his girlfriend in a jealous rage … and what law would preclude her going to the campus and shooting him? Oh no! You can’t do that … it’s against the law!??? A weapons charge? You’re an idiot. Anyone that is involved in a murder SUICIDE couldn’t give two shrugs for dandruff about what the law states. I don’t think you could BUY a clue.
“She came in while he was teaching,” one source told FITS. “And when she came in, they started arguing, and when she pulled the gun, he yelled for the class to run. She shot him as he was trying to leave.”
http://www.thestate.com/2015/02/05/3971438/2-dead-in-murder-suicide-on-usc.html
Do your homework before spouting off how ’bout it?
The student did it with a gun in the professors class…I think you need to edit your comment
“….. governor….press event…cut short…concerns for her safety…”
interesting – have been told it is not unusual to hear gunfire in the vicinity of Five Points 24/7
maybe the governor needs to move Key West and govern via satellite
“….. governor….press event…cut short…concerns for her safety…”
Isn’t her husband a battle hardened veteran? She should have no fear if he’s nearby.
Shots fired…how can that be?
Isn’t the campus a gun free zone?
Yeah, it’s open territory for muggers and robbers, what do they have to fear?
No, no, naw; you’ve got it all wrong man! No armed robberies or assaults on students ever occur on USC’s campus. The crooks wouldn’t dare bring a gun or other weapon on campus. The gun free zone thing guarantees people absolute safety, just like it did at VA Tech and other gun free zones.
Columbiana Centre has enjoyed great freedom from armed robberies (esp Zumiez and Buckle) since posting against legal carry.
PLEASE, think about this the way you’re supposed to.
:-)
Columbiana Centre has enjoyed great freedom from armed robberies (esp Zumiez and Buckle) since posting against legal carry.
Dare I ask what “Zumiez and Buckle” even is?
Two stores that were targets of armed robbers on two seperate occasions. They are located side by side in Columbiana Centre.
Columbiana Centre is slowly becoming the new Columbia Place, and Columbia Place is slowly becoming the new Richland Mall.
I haven’t been to Richland Mall in a while, the last time I was there I thought I was exploring an abandoned warehouse.
So true! I went through Dutch Square back before Christmas. Don’t know why I do that to myself as it always brings tears to my eyes. Memories of good times spent Christmas Shopping with family and friends, now mostly gone. It was once such a vibrant and lively place to be. Not anymore. :'(
The last time I went to Dutch Square was probably 10 years ago, maybe more. I swear I heard what sounded like a gunshot, never felt the need to go anywhere near that place again.
The robbery attempts occurred recently and since dummies in Columbiana Centre/General Growth Properties thought it somehow “smart” to put “Rob Me” signs at main entrances back in October.
Yeah, you have driven me to an epiphany in the last few minutes. I am leaving soon to go throw all my guns and ammo in the river. I am sure I will feel better about myself when I have to go out and about in the dead of night. All those creepy people I see out at that time of the night would not dare to do me harm. They are the best the criminal establishment has to offer, well-aware of gun free zones, look out for your safety, and respect other people’s rights.
Psycho Boz has checked in today…. fellow fruitcakes and nuts grandtangosuglydog and Rocky are accounted for on another thread…anybody heard from Smirks today?
Smirks is working. He’s in meetings all day.
Scratch Smirks. He just reported in from Dairy Queen.
But haven’t heard from GT or Flip.
YES you have.
You might want to check on Flip, Sandi and Grande Taco – they’re not around today. But I think Flip is still Ohio at union meetings.
Boz, grandtangosuglydog, Rocky, Smirks.
You’re basically just letting us know we really, really get under your skin, man. :)
Looks like two badass hero wannabe’s standing by the door.
or someone who knows that the hiding behind the door isnt a bad idea since the person is probably not going to clear their corners
Yeah, that’s probably it.
Those are Marines guarding the door….
Thank you Monday morning quarterback.
Send Taylor over there with a tight blouse and an iPhone for an on-the-locale selfie please.
or Boz in *drag*…????
He’s very buddy buddy with her on twitter after his initial name calling session.
SLED confirming it was an isolated murder-suicide
THanks Taylor.
Next knee jerk law up for passage in SC designed to stick it to liberals, Holder, Obama et al…HR .22
“All college entrants in SC shall be furnished with a loaded hand gun supplied by Beretta firearms and holstered upon their hips 24 hours every day of 7 days a week as per taxpayer arrangements with said company. Students can obtain their free loaded firearm from the USC bookstore after registration”
sit tight while i go register for class
Beretta? Could be worse I suppose.
Giving Coach Ward a pinkslip would have been easier I suppose, but they went and did him “Fredo-style.”
“Gun Free Zone,” same as wearing a “dunce hat” with flashing neon sign proclaiming you don’t have any means of protecting yourself.
Let’s see if the perp had a history of CDV.
Students should greet each other with loaded guns with the safety off.
Now that it’s gotten personal, anyone else wanna make a stupid claim that a “good guy with a gun” could have done something to prevent this (well, except maybe hurt themselves or a bystander)? Snark? No?
You should check your “sources.” Dr. Fayed wasn’t teaching at the time.
It’s been confirmed by everyone from The State to even Pastides… Check your sources.
It revolves around sex.
KK
““She came in while he was teaching,” one source told FITS. “And when she came in, they started arguing, and when she pulled the gun, he yelled for the class to run. She shot him as he was trying to leave.”
This is NOT TRUE. Both bodies were found in his office, not a classroom.
She was his former live in lover.
He jilted her after she moved here to be with him.
He cut off her power and telephone to his house to get her out.
Looks like she objected strongly to the treatment.
“A woman Scorned is a woman out for revenge.”
Bang Bang