Virginia State University police and Chesterfield County officers are seeking additional individuals who discharged firearms during a shooting incident early Saturday morning that left five people wounded. Investigators are working to determine the roles of these individuals, including whether they were acting in self-defense.
The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. Saturday near the university’s Quad Annexes residential area. Responding officers found five individuals with gunshot wounds outside campus residence halls. A lockdown was implemented following the shooting but was later lifted after authorities stated there was no immediate threat to the campus community.
One suspect, 19-year-old Camron Harris of Henrico, who is not a student at the university, was arrested Saturday afternoon. Officers found Harris hiding in a closet within Seward Hall, a campus residence hall, more than 14 hours after the shooting and several hours after the lockdown had ended. Harris faces four counts of malicious wounding and four counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. He is being held without bond at the Chesterfield County jail.
The five victims range in age from 17 to 23. Of the five wounded, only one is a Virginia State University student, a 20-year-old male who sustained non-life-threatening injuries and has been released from the hospital. A 21-year-old man remains in critical condition, while the other victims, including a 23-year-old male, a 19-year-old female, and a 17-year-old male, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to recover.
Virginia State University President Makola Abdullah addressed the campus community Sunday evening, stating that the investigation is ongoing and the university is cooperating with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The university has increased its police presence on campus as the investigation continues. Abdullah emphasized that student and campus safety remain top priorities for the university.
Virginia State University, located in Ettrick, Virginia, is a historically Black university with approximately 5,700 students. It was the first fully state-supported four-year college for Black Americans.