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Five shot near dorms
A shooting involving multiple suspects wounded five people early Saturday at Virginia State University near the Quad Annexes on Boisseau Street, prompting a campus lockdown and a police investigation as students prepared for the new school year.
“Five people were wounded in a shooting involving multiple suspects at Virginia State University early Saturday”
The victims were found outside campus dormitories by campus police and Chesterfield County officers, and at least one wounded person was later confirmed to be a student by the university.
County police said one person initially listed as having life-threatening injuries was upgraded to critical condition, while the other four sustained injuries described as not life-threatening.
The BBC reported officers responded to the incident outside residence halls at about 01:28 local time (05:28 GMT) on Saturday, and the university said classes for the new term were set to begin on Monday.
The shooting occurred as Virginia State University’s residence halls opened for students a week ago and as many students had just completed the university’s “New Trojans Experience” for incoming students.
Lockdown lifted, suspects at large
The university said the shooting involved “multiple suspects,” and it told the campus community to avoid the area and follow law enforcement instructions while Chesterfield County Police led the investigation with help from other agencies.
Lieutenant James R Lamb of Chesterfield County Police Department told the BBC, "We don't have anybody in custody," and he added, "We know there was more than one shooter, so I would say the suspects are still at large."
The BBC also reported that a temporary lockdown on the campus had since been lifted, but a "significant" law enforcement presence remained on site.
In a statement, the university said it urged people to continue to avoid the area and follow all law enforcement instructions, while the campus lockdown had been lifted later in the day.
The AP News account similarly said the university confirmed the incident involves several suspects and that the university police and the Chesterfield County Police Department were continuing to investigate.
Officials react, investigation continues
Virginia’s Governor Abigail Spanberger said via social media that she and her husband were “praying for a quick recovery for those who were shot this morning at Virginia State University, and our thoughts are with the VSU community,” and she thanked first responders and law enforcement.
“Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, said via social media that she and her husband were “praying for a quick recovery”
Sen. Mark Warner said it was “devastating to see another Virginia campus harmed by gun violence,” as police continued investigating multiple suspects after the five victims were transported to hospitals.
The 6abc Philadelphia report said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office were assisting, while the campus had a large law enforcement presence on Saturday morning.
The BBC reported investigators were still reviewing surveillance video for evidence and were not currently treating any of the five people injured as suspects.
As the investigation continued, the university said the safety and well-being of its students remained its highest priority, and it told students to monitor their email for additional safety measures and information about support services.
