An Active shooter alert has been sent to students on the Columbia campus of the University of South Carolina. A heavy police presence is in the area as students have been advised to barricade themselves in a safe area and be prepared to fight the shooter should they encounter him. There have been no reports of injuries at this time.

The shooter, who is described as a six-foot-tall white male, and dressed in black, is reported to still be in the area.

Initial reports stated that the shooter entered the Thomas Cooper Library and opened fire. Security camera footage then showed a man, believed to possibly be the shooter, calmly walking across campus toward the campus village.

There have been no initial reports of injuries, and police are currently searching the campus.

Police report that they have not encountered the shooter or found injuries.

It is possible that reports could be another hoax, such as the active shooter reports at Villanova University earlier this week.

Police will treat this report as if it's real until proven otherwise. The university has continued its shelter-in-place order until the campus is cleared by police.

The legitimacy of the threat is unclear at this time. We'll update this story as details are confirmed.