Students First Day Back After Shooting

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Columbia , S.C. (WOLO) — Just days after tragedy struck the Public Health Center on the University of South Carolina campus, public health students returned to class Monday for the first time. “It’s kind of weird coming into a building where two people were laying dead last week,” said student Trey Limehouse. “Returning to class today was kind of eerie knowing what took place last Thursday,” said Joel Keefe. Last Thursday, one of their own, Dr. Raja Fayad was on the fourth floor of the Public Health Center when his ex-wife shot him to death with a handgun before turning the gun on herself. “It’s just very weird to think this could happen to someone that you’re not necessarily close to but is just a big part of your area here at the university,” said student Reid Gough. Gough said she didn’t have Dr. Fayad but he was very well known and she always heard positive things about him. She said the mood of students was very somber Monday when they returned to class. “I mean people are obviously going on with their days and everything like that but it’s still in the back of everyone’s mind very much so especially when you have displays like this,” said Gough. Dozens of flowers, candles, and notes greeted students at the front door of the Public Health Center Monday as they returned to class. Several students stopped to pay tribute and write messages before heading inside. “We lost one of our own in a sense so I felt the need, I didn’t write much, I just said you will be missed rest in peace,” said Joel Keefe. Despite losing one of their own, students said they are starting to move forward with the help of each other and their Gamecock community.