Five people were wounded in a shooting early Saturday morning outside residence halls at Virginia State University in Ettrick Virginia. Police responded to reports of gunfire at about 1:28 a.m. near the Quad Annexes in the 3300 block of Boisseau Street and found the victims suffering from gunshot wounds. All five were taken to area hospitals. One person remained in critical condition later Saturday.
The other four sustained injuries that were not life threatening. University officials confirmed that at least one of those wounded is a Virginia State University student whose injuries were not life threatening and who has since been released from the hospital. The shooting involved multiple suspects according to statements from the university. Chesterfield County Police are leading the investigation with assistance from Virginia State University police the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.
No arrests had been announced by Saturday afternoon and the identities of the victims and suspects had not been released. A campus wide lockdown was put in place shortly after the shooting. Officials lifted the lockdown around 8:20 a.m. but a significant law enforcement presence remained on campus as investigators processed the scene. Students and staff were asked to avoid the immediate area near the residence halls.
The incident occurred just days before the start of the fall academic year. Residence halls had opened for students the previous week and classes were scheduled to begin on Monday. Many incoming students had recently finished the university’s New Trojans Experience orientation program. On Friday more than a thousand freshmen had gathered for a welcome ceremony that included remarks from former NFL quarterback Cam Newton.
One freshman engineering student later described waking to the sound of rapid gunfire outside his dorm. He said it sounded like about one hundred shots and that he saw chaos unfolding when he looked out the window. Students sheltered in place during the lockdown that followed. Virginia State University is a historically Black university founded in 1882 and located less than twenty five miles south of Richmond.
Campus officials have noted previous incidents of gun violence on or near the grounds in recent years. Investigators have not publicly detailed a motive or the exact sequence of events. They have indicated the shooting was not a drive by. Police continue to search for the multiple suspects believed to be involved.
University leaders expressed concern for those affected and pledged cooperation with the ongoing investigation. A heavy police presence was expected to continue into the weekend as the campus community prepared for the arrival of more students and the start of classes. Local hospitals treated the five victims and updates on their conditions were limited to the critical status of one individual and the non life threatening nature of the others’ injuries. The confirmed student victim was discharged after treatment.
As of Saturday evening the investigation remained active. Authorities asked anyone with information to contact Chesterfield County Police. The university continued to monitor the situation and provide updates to students and families as more details became available. The timing of the shooting during welcome week and just before the academic year begins has left many in the campus community shaken.
Orientation events and the transition into college life for new Trojans have been overshadowed by the early morning violence outside the dormitories. Police maintained a visible presence while processing evidence at the scene near the Quad Annexes. Campus access returned to normal after the lockdown ended yet officials urged caution in the area under investigation. Further information is expected as detectives interview witnesses examine physical evidence and pursue leads on the suspects.
The university has not announced any changes to the start of classes or additional security measures beyond the continued law enforcement activity.
**Updated**
Police arrested 19-year-old Camron Harris (also reported as Cameron Harris) of Henrico, Virginia. He is not a VSU student. Officers found him hiding in a closet in a campus dormitory (Seward Hall) on Saturday afternoon. Chesterfield County Police obtained eight felony warrants against him, including charges related to malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He is being held without bond at the Chesterfield County Jail. No motive has been publicly released, and the investigation continues (with the possibility of additional charges or other suspects).
