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SC State hosts emergency town hall about student safety concerns

A shooting in Orangeburg last night left 1 person dead and 3 others wounded. The incident affected activity at nearby South Carolina State University.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Five days after the start of classes, SC State University is dealing with an off-campus tragedy that involved several of their students.

According to Orangeburg deputies shots were fired at around 10:45 Sunday night on Buckley Street, less than a mile from SC State's campus.

Students from SC State and Claflin University were allegedly gathered for a barbecue that turned deadly, with one woman dead, and 3 others injured.

The woman was later identified as 27-year-old Safiya Daniels.

The university responded to the shooting immediately locking down campus. University spokesperson, Sam Watson says the school is doing all they can to ensure student safety.

RELATED: At least 2 wounded, 1 dead by gunfire near SC State late Sunday night

"We have invested more than $1 million to put up 700 cameras around campus, 300 have already been installed," Watson explained. "More blue emergency buttons are also going up around campus as well."

The school held an emergency town hall meeting with students Monday night, to answer questions regarding safety at the university.

Several students asked questions, including Levette Mcrae who has been going to SC State for three years. He was asleep when the lockdown happened, and says despite Sunday's incident he feels safe at school. 

"I see that the president is making an effort to address our concerns, I do think people need to be more careful with what they do off campus and just be aware of their surroundings," said Mcrae.

University president, Alexander Conyers, explained to students that safety is a two-way street. To keep campus safe, he says students should be more aware of their surroundings and be careful who they are hanging around.

RELATED: SC State to implement new security measures following deadly off-campus shooting

I also spoke with class president Zyah Cephus, who says there will be more opportunities for students to voice safety concerns in the near future. 

"We will be hosting more of these town hall meetings to let students voices be heard, and they will continue throughout the school year to ensure everyone gets their questions answered," Cephus stated.

The university asks that students download the Rave Guardian app so they can report crimes and anything suspicious.

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