A shooting involving multiple suspects at Virginia State University injured many individuals, causing a temporary campus lockdown early Saturday, just days before the start of the new academic year.
The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. outside a university residence hall, and both campus police and the Chesterfield County Police Department are conducting an investigation, according to a university statement. When police came, they found five victims with gunshot wounds.
Lt. James R. Lamb of the Chesterfield County Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Major Crimes Unit revealed that only one victim was a student. Lamb told CBS News that investigators suspect the other victims may be from the nearby regions. He claimed the incident was not a drive-by shooting, and police are looking for many shooters.
The victims were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment. According to the university, one individual is currently in serious condition, and the remaining four have non-life-threatening injuries.
Police and university officials have not recognized any of the victims or revealed whether they are affiliated with the university.
According to school authorities, a “significant law enforcement presence remains on campus” while police conduct their investigation. It was not immediately known whether any suspects had been arrested.
County police stated the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, as well as the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, were assisting.
Virginia State University is a historically Black university located in Ettrick, Virginia, approximately 24 miles south of the state capital of Richmond. The public institution has approximately 5,700 students and was the first entirely state-supported four-year college for Black Americans. WTVR, a CBS News station, stated that classes for the new academic year would begin on Monday.
According to the university’s website, residence halls opened for students a week ago, and classes will begin on Monday. Many students had recently undergone the university’s “New Trojans Experience” for incoming students.
According to Arthur Fridrich, the former director of remote education at the university who frequently visits the campus, the recent incident is terrible for the community. This is a horrible way to begin the new year. It casts a shadow over all pupils’ thoughts, and some will find it impossible to get rid of this term,” Fridrich added. “My heart hurts for those who were shot. I hope they all recover and don’t let this catastrophe define their life.”
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