CHARLESTON, SC NEWS - LIVE 5 WCSC Breaking News, Weather, SportsPolice name suspect in SSU shooting, campus still on lockdown

Police name suspect in SSU shooting, campus still on lockdown

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - Savannah State University remains on lockdown after a shooting at the University Commons. Savannah-Chatham police are on campus supporting Savannah State police as they continue to look for the suspect, Devon McIntosh.

The reported shooting happened sometime around noon and the campus was quickly put on lockdown.

According to campus officials, two students who knew each other, got into an altercation in the University Commons. One student pulled out a gun and shot the other one in the arm and abdomen. The wounded student was taken to the hospital and is in emergency surgery right now.

The campus is still on lockdown because police are still looking for the shooting suspect. He has an apartment on campus which police have searched and located a weapon. 

Students on campus told WTOC they learned about the reported shooting through the campus alert system. Students can sign up for the alerts. The school put out text messages to students and sent voice mail messages to their dorm room phones.

The messages told students there was a report of a shooting in the Commons housing. They were urged to stay where they were on campus:

"SHOOTING CAMPUS SHOOTING REPORTED. CAMPUS IS ON LOCKDOWN. Keep doors closed and locked till further notice. Thanks for your cooperation."

One student WTOC spoke with was one of several hundred in SSU's student center. She told us, "Many students felt more secure with the campus on lockdown. We'd rather it be that way than people not caring about student safety."

She learned about the lockdown through other students on campus who had signed up for the school's alert system.

"I saw a lot of students walking around campus at first," she said. "Many were going back to their rooms."

The student told WTOC they have not heard when the lockdown would be lifted.

Police are looking for the suspect Devon McIntosh. It is not known if he is still on campus. Police say he has a scar on his arm and hand and a tattoo of "Defamilia" on his chest and another tattoo on his arm.