Campus Alert Archive
Clemson

Two Revolvers, Body Armor, and an Ammunition Belt: Armed Man Arrested Outside Clemson's Mell Hall

SCarmed personemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On October 26, 2024, at approximately 3:18 p.m., Clemson University Police received a report of an individual with a firearm near Mell Hall. An urgent CU Safe Alert was sent directing the campus community to avoid the area and shelter in place. Officers located the man sitting on a bench in front of Mell Hall, wearing body armor and carrying two loaded revolvers and an ammunition belt. He was taken into custody without incident.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Clemson University
Public R1 · SC
~29,000 studentsCU Safe Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction118 chars
CU SAFE ALERT: Armed individual reported near Mell Hall. Avoid the area. Shelter in place. Follow police instructions.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news coverage of the incident; exact CU Safe Alert wording not confirmed
The report came in at approximately 3:18 p.m., a Saturday afternoon during football season at Clemson
Mell Hall is an academic building on Clemson's main campus
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction168 chars
CU SAFE ALERT UPDATE: Individual has been taken into custody near Mell Hall. There is no ongoing threat to campus. Shelter in place is lifted. Resume normal activities.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news reports; the arrest occurred quickly as the suspect was compliant
Police described the individual as non-threatening and compliant during the encounter
Upon search, officers discovered body armor, an ammunition belt, and a second loaded revolver in addition to the visible firearm
Context

Background

On a Saturday afternoon during Clemson's fall semester, a man was reported sitting on a bench outside Mell Hall with a visible firearm on his hip. The Clemson University Police Department issued an urgent CU Safe Alert directing the campus to shelter in place and avoid the area. When officers arrived, they found Benjamin Allen Wemp seated calmly on the bench. He was described as non-threatening and compliant. However, the situation was more alarming than it initially appeared: in addition to the loaded revolver on his hip, Wemp was wearing body armor and an ammunition belt containing several rounds, and he had a second loaded revolver concealed in his pants pocket. He was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon on university property, with bond set at $25,000. The incident raised concerns about campus safety and the ease of bringing weapons onto university grounds. At trial, a Clemson student testified about the fear the incident caused, stating that a gun on campus is meant to take a life.
Analysis

Key Findings

The suspect was carrying two loaded revolvers, body armor, and an ammunition belt when arrested on campus
Despite the heavy armament, the individual was described as non-threatening and compliant with officers
The incident prompted campus discussion about weapons on university property and the adequacy of existing security measures
Outcome
The suspect, Benjamin Allen Wemp, was arrested without incident and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon on university property. He was found with two loaded revolvers, body armor, and an ammunition belt. Bond was set at $25,000.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Armed individual arrested on Clemson University campus (WSPA)
    wspa.com
  2. News
    Man charged after bringing gun onto Clemson University's campus, police say (Fox Carolina)
    foxcarolina.com
  3. Student Paper
    Man arrested for firearm possession on Clemson's campus (The Tiger)
    thetigercu.com
  4. Student Paper
    'A gun is meant to take a life': Clemson student testifies in firearm possession trial (The Tiger)
    thetigercu.com
Tags
armed-personfirearmsbody-armorarrestsouth-carolinashelter-in-placeweapons-on-campus
Added April 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion