USC student found dead on campus, officials say

A University of South Carolina student was found dead Sunday morning and an investigation is underway.

No foul play is suspected in the student’s death, according to USC spokesman Jeff Stensland.

The body was discovered in the Honors College Residence Hall and the death is being investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Richland County Coroner’s Office, according to Stensland.

USC sent an alert to students informing them of the death.

Coroner Gary Watts said members of his office and SLED agents were investigating the dorm at 1215 Blossom St. in Columbia on Sunday afternoon. That’s near the intersection with Assembly Street, in the heart of the USC campus.

Information on the cause of death was not available.

The coroner’s office will publicly identify the student after notifying the next of kin.

Because USC’s campus is government property, it is normal for SLED to lead the investigation, spokesman Tommy Crosby told The State.

Further information was not available because of the ongoing investigation.

Stensland said it’s possible that USC could provide an update later on Sunday.

This is the second USC student to die in little more than a month. The body of Samuel Laundon was found in a quarry on Oct. 11 after leaving friends and jumping a fence in an effort “to reach his destination faster,” the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said.

Watts said there’s nothing to suspect Laundon’s death was anything other than an accident.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

This story was originally published November 15, 2020 at 12:54 PM.

Noah Feit

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription