Teenager arrested at Virginia State University after five injured in shooting

Camron Harris of Henrico, Virginia, is not a student on campus — nor were four of the people injured, Chesterfield County Police said in a statement. They ranged in age from 17 to 23.

Police arrested a 19-year-old found hiding in a dormitory closet at Virginia State University on Saturday in connection with an overnight shooting on campus which left five people wounded, including one with critical injuries.

Camron Harris of Henrico, Virginia, is not a student on campus — nor were four of the people injured, Chesterfield County Police said in a statement. They ranged in age from 17 to 23.

One of the injured, a 20-year-old, is a student and has been released from the hospital, authorities said. The victims’ names have not been released.

Authorities have given no information about a possible motive. Police obtained eight felony warrants for Harris, including for malicious wounding and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. Efforts to reach Harris’ family by phone were unsuccessful.

The university said in an earlier statement that authorities were searching for multiple suspects, but police provided no additional information on Saturday evening about the search.

University officials said earlier in the day that law enforcement did not believe there was an immediate threat to the campus community and a campus lockdown had been lifted.

The shooting, just after 1.30am on Saturday, prompted the lockdown and came as students were getting ready for the new school year.

It happened near the university’s Quad Annexes, where campus police and Chesterfield County officers discovered five people suffering from gunshot wounds outside dormitories.

According to the university’s website, residence halls opened for students a week ago and classes resume on Monday. Many students had just completed the university’s “New Trojans Experience” for incoming students.

“We recognise the concern this incident has caused among our students, parents, alumni, friends, and the broader VSU community,” the university statement said. “The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority.” 

The campus had a large law enforcement presence on Saturday morning and the university informed students they should monitor their email for additional safety measures and information about support services.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office were assisting, county police said.

Virginia State University is a historically black university located in Ettrick, Virginia, about 24 miles south of the state capital of Richmond.

The public university has about 5,700 students and was the first fully state-supported four-year college for black Americans. Most of its students are undergraduates.

The university has grown in recent years while attempting to improve safety and retain its historic charm, said Arthur Fridrich, the university’s former director of distance education, who lives near the campus and visits regularly.

A shooting like this just as students return for classes is heartbreaking for the community, he said.

“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,” Mr 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.”