{
  "id": "2025-03-02-southern-university-dorm-shooting",
  "slug": "southern-university-dorm-shooting-2025-03-02",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Southern University and A&M College",
    "shortName": "Southern",
    "state": "LA",
    "type": "hbcu",
    "enrollment": 7000,
    "alertSystemName": "SU Alert / Jags Safe"
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-03-02",
    "type": "shooting",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-threat",
    "headline": "Shooting inside a residence hall wounds one; suspect arrested 11 days later",
    "headlinePublic": "Shooting inside a residence hall wounds one; suspect arrested 11 days later",
    "summary": "On March 2, 2025, at approximately 7:00 PM CST, a shooting occurred inside [U.S. Jones Hall dormitory at Southern University](https://www.wbrz.com/news/southern-campus-locked-down-after-shooting-at-u-s-jones-hall-dorm/), leaving one person hospitalized. The campus was locked down and students were told to remain in their dorms. The suspect, [Semaj Joiner, 23, was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Fort Worth, Texas on March 13](https://www.wafb.com/2025/03/14/accused-gunman-southern-university-dorm-shooting-arrested-texas/), and charged with attempted second-degree murder.",
    "outcome": "One male victim was transported to the hospital in stable condition. Semaj Joiner, 23, was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Fort Worth, Texas on March 13, 2025. Joiner faces charges of attempted second-degree murder, carrying a firearm on school property, and illegal use of a weapon.",
    "casualties": {
      "killed": 0,
      "injured": 1
    }
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Approximately 7:24 PM CST on March 2, 2025 (posted to the university website)",
      "channel": "website",
      "verbatimText": "ATTENTION: There has been a shooting incident in U.S. Jones Hall. The possible suspect is a Black male waring a black hoodie with rhinestones and dark pants.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://abcnews.go.com/US/1-hospitalized-after-shooting-incident-southern-university/story?id=119368215",
      "sourceDescription": "ABC News (quoted the Southern University website alert message verbatim)",
      "annotations": [
        "Verbatim message Southern University posted to its website at approximately 7:24 PM CST on March 2, 2025, quoted by ABC News",
        "The typo 'waring' (for 'wearing') is preserved exactly as the university published it",
        "The shooting occurred around 7:00 PM CST on the second floor of U.S. Jones Hall; a student reported hearing a single gunshot"
      ],
      "characterCount": 157
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestampApprox": "Approximately 9:15 PM CST on March 2, 2025",
      "channel": "multi-channel",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from WBRZ and WAFB reporting on the suspect description and lockdown lift; ABC News reported the all-clear was issued at 9:15 PM CST",
      "annotations": []
    }
  ],
  "context": "On the evening of March 2, 2025, Southern University Police Department responded to a shooting inside [U.S. Jones Hall, a residential dormitory on the Baton Rouge campus](https://www.wbrz.com/news/southern-campus-locked-down-after-shooting-at-u-s-jones-hall-dorm/). A student in the building reported hearing a single gunshot on the second floor at approximately 7:00 PM CST. One person was found with a gunshot wound and transported to a local hospital in stable condition. The university immediately [placed the campus on lockdown and alerted students to remain in their dorms](https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/crime/southern-university-lockdown-shooting-us-jones-hall-dorm/289-b4c8b357-84f6-4e97-b587-f5696da64c23). The following day, campus police [released photos of a person of interest described as a Black male wearing a black hoodie with rhinestones](https://www.wafb.com/2025/03/03/new-pictures-released-person-interest-connection-su-on-campus-shooting/). On March 13, U.S. Marshals [arrested Semaj Joiner, 23, in Fort Worth, Texas](https://www.wafb.com/2025/03/14/accused-gunman-southern-university-dorm-shooting-arrested-texas/), approximately 11 days after the shooting. Joiner was charged with attempted second-degree murder, carrying a firearm on school property, and illegal use of a weapon. The incident was part of a series of violent events that prompted the Southern University chancellor to [issue a message to the campus community about safety concerns](https://www.subr.edu/news/chancellors-message-on-recent-incidents).",
  "keyFindings": [
    "The suspect was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Fort Worth, Texas, 11 days after the shooting",
    "The shooting occurred inside a residential dormitory, raising serious questions about building access and security",
    "Southern University's chancellor subsequently addressed the campus about a pattern of violent incidents"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Southern campus locked down after shooting at U.S. Jones Hall dorm (WBRZ)",
      "url": "https://www.wbrz.com/news/southern-campus-locked-down-after-shooting-at-u-s-jones-hall-dorm/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Southern University placed on lockdown after shooting at U.S. Jones Hall dorm (WWLTV)",
      "url": "https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/crime/southern-university-lockdown-shooting-us-jones-hall-dorm/289-b4c8b357-84f6-4e97-b587-f5696da64c23",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Accused gunman in Southern University dorm shooting arrested in Texas (WAFB)",
      "url": "https://www.wafb.com/2025/03/14/accused-gunman-southern-university-dorm-shooting-arrested-texas/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Chancellor's message on recent incidents (Southern University)",
      "url": "https://www.subr.edu/news/chancellors-message-on-recent-incidents",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Pictures released of person of interest in connection to SU on-campus shooting (WAFB)",
      "url": "https://www.wafb.com/2025/03/03/new-pictures-released-person-interest-connection-su-on-campus-shooting/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "ABC News (quoted the Southern University website alert message verbatim)",
      "url": "https://abcnews.go.com/US/1-hospitalized-after-shooting-incident-southern-university/story?id=119368215",
      "type": "local-media"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "shooting",
    "hbcu",
    "louisiana",
    "dormitory",
    "campus-lockdown",
    "fugitive-arrest",
    "us-marshals"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-02",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-05-29",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}