SC State student dies after on-campus shooting

A student who was shot outside a South Carolina State University dorm Friday has died, officials said.

Though university officials did not release the victim’s name, Orangeburg County Coroner Samuetta Marshall said the victim was 20-year-old Brandon Robinson.

The coroner’s office will release further information Saturday after an autopsy, she told the Los Angeles Times.

Robinson was fatally shot outside a dorm, Hugine Suites, at about 1:30 p.m, prompting a campus-wide lockdown. Authorities said they were pursuing four suspects in connection with the shooting.

University President Thomas Elzey said in a statement that the school “is saddened by the loss of one of our own students.”

“Of course our first order of business here is to make sure our students are safe and cared for during this very difficult time,” he said.

Grief counseling is being made available for students, faculty and staff, he said.

Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler and Councilwoman Liz Zimmerman-Keitt were on campus all day to “offer their support,” he said. Gov. Nikki Haley also called the university president, “pledging her support and assistance.”

“As police work to apprehend the people they believe to be responsible for this horrible crime, we are pulling together as a community,” Elzey said.

He reassured parents that their “children are in good hands” and that he is confident law enforcement officials will “successfully bring this investigation to a close.”

According to the university’s athletics website, Robinson was a defensive lineman for the football team. Robinson’s Facebook page, which as of Friday afternoon had not been removed, lists him as a graduate of Orangeburg Wilkinson High School. He was expected to graduate from SC State in 2015.

As of about 6 p.m., the university lockdown had been lifted but campus officials urged students to “remain cautious and report any suspicious activity to police.” Campus entry and exit had been limited to one gate, according to the school’s Twitter and Facebook pages.

SC State, located in Orangeburg, about 40 miles south of Columbia, is a historically black school with 3,500 students.

Community members have already flocked to social media, using hashtags such as #prayforscsu and #prayforbrandon.

Robinson’s death comes three days after Purdue University teacher’s assistant Andrew Boldt, 21, was fatally shot in an electrical engineering building classroom. A fellow teacher’s assistant has been charged in that case,

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saba.hamedy@latimes.com

Twitter: @saba_h