At least five people were wounded in a shooting involving multiple suspects at Virginia State University on Saturday. The incident prompted a campus lockdown and police investigation just as students got ready for a new school year.
Initially, it was suspected that multiple gunmen were involved in the shooting near the Quad Annexes. AP quoted university saying that none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.
As per the New York Post, shots were fired near the Quad Annexes of the Chesterfield County campus, at around 1:30 AM (local time) by multiple gunmen.
19-Year-Old Arrested in Virginia Shooting
Police in Virginia arrested a 19-year-old in connection with Saturday shooting that left five people injured. No one died in the shooting, though one victim sustained critical injuries.
Chesterfield County Police announced the arrest of Camron Harris of Henrico, Virginia. They found him hiding in a closet on campus Saturday afternoon. He was not a student at the university, authorities said.
Police said they obtained eight felony warrants for his arrest including malicious wounding and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
Though the shooting occurred outside campus dormitories, only one person injured, a 20-year-old, was a student. The other four victims ranged in age from 17 to 23, authorities said. One of them, a 21-year-old male, sustained critical injuries.
Campus Shooting Under Investigation
The shooting was still under investigation later Saturday and happened as Virginia State’s academic year begins. According to the university’s website, residence halls opened for students a week ago, and classes resume on Monday. Many students had just completed the university’s “New Trojans Experience” for incoming students.
Police and university officials have not identified any of the victims. The five were taken to hospitals, and one initially listed as having life-threatening injuries has been upgraded to critical condition, county police said.
The others sustained non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The person confirmed to be a student was among those whose injuries were not life-threatening, and the student has been released from a hospital, the university said.
The university said in a statement early Saturday that the shooting involves “multiple suspects.” It said in a statement later in the day that law enforcement did not believe there was an immediate threat to the campus community, and a campus lockdown had been lifted.
“We recognize the concern this incident has caused among our students, parents, alumni, friends, and the broader VSU community,” the university statement said. “The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority.”
The campus had a large law enforcement presence on Saturday morning, and the university informed students that they should monitor their email for additional safety measures and information about support services. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office were assisting, county police said.
Virginia State University is a historically Black university located in Ettrick, Virginia, about 24 miles south of the state capital of Richmond. The public university has about 5,700 students and was the first fully state-supported four-year college for Black Americans. Most of its students are undergraduates.
With inputs from AP