A shooting inside Southern University's student residential area sent at least one person to the hospital Monday evening and triggered a campus-wide lockdown that lasted nearly three hours. The university told students and staff to shelter in place, and law enforcement was on the scene at the Baton Rouge campus.
According to WAFB, the shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. in the student residential area of campus. Southern University officials said in a notice issued at 6:22 p.m. that a reported shooting had happened on campus, according to WBRZ, which reported the university identified the location as Building 100, part of the school's University Apartments that were originally built as upperclassman housing. A separate account from ABC News identified the location as the Ulysses S. Jones Hall dormitory, so the precise building where the shooting occurred remains unsettled between the two reports.
At least one person was injured and taken to the hospital, per ABC News's reporting. The university's message to the campus community was direct: the campus is locked down for safety, and people should remain in their dorm rooms or offices until an all-clear is given, the outlet reported. That all-clear did not come until 9:15 p.m. local time, closing out nearly three hours of uncertainty for students and staff sheltering across campus.
Suspect Description Released, Status Unclear
Southern University described a possible suspect as a Black male wearing a black hoodie with rhinestones and dark pants, according to ABC News. What happened next is where accounts diverge. WAFB reported that the alleged shooter remained at large, while ABC News reported it was unclear whether the suspect described in the university's earlier announcement had been located or taken into custody.
A later WBRZ report offered a partial update: school officials said a person had been identified in connection with the shooting but did not release that person's name, and no arrests had been made at the time of that report. The university has also said the shooting is believed to be an isolated incident, per WAFB's reporting. Law enforcement was on the scene Monday evening as the investigation got underway, and WBRZ reporter Adam Burruss, who authored the outlet's initial report, noted the station would provide additional details when they became available and had reached out to officials for more information.
Cadence Apartments' Troubled Track Record
The shooting adds to a string of violent incidents that have unsettled students living near Southern's campus, particularly at the privately owned Cadence Apartments. The District Attorney's Office has reported more than 100 calls for service each year over the past five years at that complex, and WBRZ has separately documented at least 58 crime incidents there during 2025.
Those numbers took on new weight after 21-year-old sophomore Donovan Pugh, a New Orleans native, was shot and killed during a burglary at his first-floor Cadence apartment on Dec. 16, according to The Advocate. Three men were later arrested on counts including first-degree murder, armed robbery and breaking and entering in connection with his death, the paper reported. The Advocate also noted that the nearby Sandpiper apartment complex in Tigerland averaged three times as many calls for service as Cadence despite having only 14 units, offering some context for how the complex compares to other off-campus housing. A separate shooting at Cadence on Oct. 4 killed 17-year-old Micah Booker, though the District Attorney's Office has since said that shooting was considered justified, per the same report.
Owners Pledge Security Upgrades
In response to mounting scrutiny, Cadence's ownership has moved to tighten security. The complex has added more barrier arms at its drive entrance and is paying for multiple Baton Rouge Police Department details to secure the property around the clock, The Advocate reported. Student Housing of America, which operates the complex, has said it is committed to strengthening law enforcement presence, integrating security technology, and improving lighting and visibility, according to WBRZ's earlier reporting.
The Advocate reported that Student Housing of America put forward an affiliation agreement between Southern University and Cadence Apartments, but board chair Tony Clayton said he would not entertain a collaborative relationship until crime improved. Monday's shooting is not the only violent episode to have rattled the campus this year — WBRZ previously reported on a multi-victim shooting near a Southern University fraternity party that left 11 people hurt, all with non-life-threatening injuries. U.S. Marshals later arrested 22-year-old Jaicedric Williams on 11 counts of attempted first-degree murder and an illegal weapons charge in that case, and investigators said at the time there was no ongoing threat to campus.
