Virginia State University shooting suspect, 19, arrested after five injured
Police detained a 19-year-old suspect at Virginia State University following an early-morning shooting that wounded five people, including one critically, as the campus lifted a lockdown.
Police arrested Camron Harris, a 19-year-old from Henrico, Virginia, after he was found hiding in a dormitory closet at Virginia State University on Saturday. The arrest follows an overnight shooting near the university’s Quad Annexes that left five individuals, ages 17 to 23, with gunshot wounds; one victim, a 20-year-old student, has been released from the hospital.
Chesterfield County Police said Harris is not enrolled at the university and that four of the injured were not students. Authorities have issued eight felony warrants against Harris, including charges of malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Police have not disclosed a motive and have not confirmed whether Harris has legal representation.
The incident, which occurred shortly after 1:30 a.m., triggered a campus lockdown that was later lifted. University officials indicated that law enforcement did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the campus community. The university urged students to monitor email for safety updates and support resources.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office are assisting the investigation. Virginia State University, a historically Black institution with roughly 5,700 students, had recently opened residence halls and was preparing for the start of classes.
"We recognize the concern this incident has caused among our students, parents, alumni, friends, and the broader VSU community," the university statement read. "The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority."