A shooting at Virginia State University early Saturday led to a campus lockdown and involved multiple suspects. The incident occurred near the Quad Annexes, with both campus police and Chesterfield County police conducting an active investigation.
Officers discovered five individuals with gunshot wounds outside campus dormitories. These victims were taken to hospitals. Initially, one individual was listed as having life-threatening injuries, but their condition has since been upgraded to critical. The other victims have non-life-threatening injuries.
Virginia State University released a statement confirming the involvement of multiple suspects and advised people to avoid the area. ‘VSU Police and the Chesterfield County Police Department are actively investigating,’ the statement read. The university instructed the campus community to steer clear of the vicinity and adhere to law enforcement directives.
On Saturday morning, there was a significant law enforcement presence. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance. Virginia State Police directed inquiries to local authorities, indicating that they are leading the investigation. Updates were promised for later in the day.
Virginia State University, located in Ettrick, Virginia, is approximately 24 miles south of Richmond. This historically Black university enrolls about 5,700 students and was the first fully state-supported four-year institution for Black Americans. Most students at VSU are undergraduates. The incident occurred just before the academic year. Residence halls opened a week ago, with classes scheduled to begin on Monday. Many students had recently completed the ‘New Trojans Experience’ for incoming students.