Campus Shooting Spurs Lockdown at Virginia State University

A shooting involving several suspects at Virginia State University led to a campus lockdown early Saturday morning. The incident occurred close to the university’s Quad Annexes, with both campus police and Chesterfield County police conducting an active investigation.

Upon arrival, county police discovered five people with gunshot wounds outside campus dorms. All victims received hospital treatment. Initially, one victim had life-threatening injuries but their status improved to critical condition. The remaining victims sustained injuries that were not life-threatening.

The university stated, ‘The shooting involves multiple suspects,’ urging people to avoid the area.

Law enforcement, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, increased their presence on campus Saturday morning. While Virginia State Police deferred inquiries to local authorities, police and campus officials promised further updates later in the day.

Virginia State University, a historically Black institution, resides in Ettrick, Virginia, roughly 24 miles from Richmond. With approximately 5,700 students, it was the nation’s first fully state-supported college for Black Americans. Most students are undergraduates.

The shooting took place just before the academic year began. According to the university’s website, residence halls opened a week ago, with classes commencing on Monday. Many students had recently finished the ‘New Trojans Experience’ orientation for newcomers.

Whittle contributed to this report from Portland, Maine.