Chaos erupts as raccoon crashes through ceiling into LSU dining hall, video shows

Students at Louisiana State University were having dinner in the 459 Dining Hall when a raccoon suddenly came crashing through the ceiling.

Videos shared on social media on Wednesday, Feb. 16 show students screaming and climbing on top of tables and chairs as the raccoon ran around sniffing through backpacks and food left on tables.

“The raccoon was removed from the facility and was turned over to Animal Control,” LSU officials told McClatchy News on Thursday, Feb. 17. “LSU Dining thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and sanitized the 459 dining hall prior to reopening this morning. The building has been inspected and sealed against further intrusion.”

One TikTok user captured video of the wildlife encounter, which included someone trying to get the raccoon into a large trashcan using a broom.

“I am just scared that my (book)bag has a disease,” Danielle Gipson, a student, told LSU Reveille, the university’s students’ newspaper. “Right now it’s funny to look back at, but at the moment, I was traumatized. My appetite is definitely gone.”

Students cornered the raccoon by the pasta area to stop it from running, the students’ newspaper reported. The raccoon was eventually captured.

“Raccoons can carry rabies, which is transmittable to humans, pets and livestock,” the city of Baton Rouge states on its website. “If a raccoon bites a human, a doctor must be called immediately.”

This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 2:08 PM with the headline "Chaos erupts as raccoon crashes through ceiling into LSU dining hall, video shows."