Five Wounded in Shooting Outside Virginia State University Dorm; Police Search for Multiple Shooters
Five people were shot early Saturday outside a residence hall at Virginia State University, forcing the campus into a temporary lockdown just days before the start of the fall semester.
The gunfire was reported around 1:30 a.m. near a dormitory, and responding officers found five victims suffering from gunshot wounds, the university said. The shooting involved multiple suspects, and authorities said they were searching for more than one person.
Chesterfield County Police Lt. James R. Lamb, of the Criminal Investigations Major Crimes Unit, said investigators have confirmed that at least one of the victims is a VSU student. The others may be from the surrounding communities, he said. Lamb also said the shooting was not a drive-by incident, and that police were looking for multiple shooters.
All five victims were taken to nearby hospitals. One person was in critical condition, while the other four had injuries that were not considered life-threatening, according to the university.
Police and university officials have not identified the victims or detailed their ties to VSU beyond the one confirmed student. It was not immediately clear whether anyone had been arrested.
The university said in a post on social media that a significant law enforcement presence remains on campus as the investigation continues. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff's Office are assisting Chesterfield County police.
Virginia State University is a public historically Black university in Ettrick, Virginia, about 24 miles south of Richmond. It was the first fully state-supported four-year college for Black Americans and enrolls about 5,700 students. According to the university, residence halls opened a week ago and classes are scheduled to begin Monday. Many incoming students had just completed the university's "New Trojans Experience" orientation program.
The timing of the shooting has unsettled a campus community that was preparing for the energy of a new academic year. Arthur Fridrich, the university's former director of distance education, lives near campus and visits regularly. He told the Associated Press that the violence was heartbreaking for students and staff.
"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," Fridrich said. "For those that were shot, my heart bleeds. I hope that they all mend and somehow do not let this event define their lives."