Multiple shooters injure five people at Virginia State University, one in critical condition
A shooting involving several suspects outside a residence hall at Virginia State University left five injured, including one critically, as authorities launch a multi-agency investigation.
A shooting around 1:30 a.m. outside a residence hall at Virginia State University injured five people, prompting a temporary campus lockdown early Saturday. Campus police and the Chesterfield County Police Department responded and found five victims with gunshot wounds, one of whom was a student, according to Lt. James R. Lamb of the county’s Criminal Investigations Major Crimes Unit. The other victims are believed to be from the surrounding community. Police described the incident as involving multiple shooters and not a drive-by attack.
The injured were taken to nearby hospitals; one remains in critical condition while the other four sustained non-life-threatening injuries, the university said. Law-enforcement presence continues on campus as investigators, assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, search for suspects. No arrests have been reported and the victims have not been identified.
Virginia State University, a historically Black institution in Ettrick, Virginia, was preparing for the start of the new academic year on Monday. The university had opened residence halls a week earlier and recently completed its orientation program for incoming students.
"To start a new year with this event is very tragic. It casts a shadow in the minds of all students, and for some it will be difficult to rid their minds of this term," said Arthur Fridrich, a former university official, expressing concern for the community.