Police apprehended a 19-year-old individual who was found concealing himself in a dormitory closet at Virginia State University following an overnight shooting incident on campus that resulted in five individuals being injured, one critically. Camron Harris, a resident of Henrico, Virginia, is not enrolled as a student at the university, and neither were four of the injured individuals, as stated by Chesterfield County Police. The age range of the victims spanned from 17 to 23 years old, with one of them being a 20-year-old student who has since been discharged from the hospital. The identities of the victims have not been disclosed.
Law enforcement officials have not disclosed any possible motive for the shooting. Harris faces eight felony warrants, including charges of malicious wounding and the use of a firearm during a felony. It remains unclear whether he has legal representation to speak on his behalf.
Earlier reports from the university mentioned authorities searching for multiple suspects, although no further details were provided by the police on Saturday evening regarding this search. Campus officials had earlier assured that there was no immediate danger to the university community, and consequently, the campus lockdown was lifted.
The shooting occurred shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Saturday near the university’s Quad Annexes, where law enforcement personnel found five individuals with gunshot wounds outside the dormitories. The university’s residential halls were opened to students a week prior, with classes scheduled to recommence on Monday. The majority of students had just completed the university’s orientation program for new students.
Virginia State University, a historically Black institution situated in Ettrick, Virginia, approximately 40 kilometers south of Richmond, the state capital, accommodates around 5,700 students and holds the distinction of being the first fully state-supported four-year college for Black Americans. Most of the student body consists of undergraduates.
With a focus on enhancing safety and preserving its historical character, the university has experienced growth in recent years, according to Arthur Fridrich, the former director of distance education at the institution. Fridrich, who resides near the campus, described the shooting incident at the beginning of the school year as devastating for the community, emphasizing the impact on students and expressing hope for the victims’ recovery and resilience in overcoming the effects of the event.