COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina (USC) has declared an all-clear after issuing an alert about a potential active shooter on its Columbia campus. The alert was sent out on Sunday evening, prompting students to shelter in place while police investigated the situation.

The initial alert was issued shortly after 6:45 p.m. EDT, indicating a possible active shooter near the Thomas Cooper Library. Students were instructed to evacuate the area, seek shelter, and barricade themselves if necessary. University spokesman Jeff Stensland later confirmed that there was no evidence of a shooter and no reports of shots fired.

Stensland stated that the alert was sent out “out of an abundance of caution.” He added that law enforcement was conducting a thorough search of the library building, going floor by floor to ensure safety. During the evacuation, there were two minor injuries reported.

At 7:11 p.m. EDT, USC issued an update confirming that there was “no evidence of an active shooter at this time.” However, police continued to search the affected buildings, and the shelter-in-place order remained in effect until further notice.

This incident follows recent false reports of active shooters at Villanova University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, which caused panic and temporary lockdowns. In Pennsylvania, a 911 call falsely reported a shooter at Villanova, while in Tennessee, the university issued a lockdown alert due to similar unconfirmed reports.

USC has approximately 38,000 students enrolled, and the campus is located in a city with a population of nearly 145,000. The university's Carolina Alert system remains active, and officials are committed to providing updates as the situation develops. Community members are advised to monitor local media for real-time information.

As of now, the Thomas Cooper Library remains closed, and public safety officials are on the scene. The USC Police Department, along with other law enforcement agencies, will continue their systematic searches until they can confirm the campus is safe.