Virginia State University shooting wounds five as new term begins

Five people were shot outside Virginia State University dormitories early on Saturday. The attack triggered a campus lockdown and clouded the start of the academic year.

In Short

• Police found the injured outside dormitories near the Quad Annexes
• One victim remains in critical condition, while four escaped severe injuries
• Authorities have not said whether any victims are linked to campus

Five people were wounded in a shooting involving multiple suspects at Virginia State University early on Saturday, prompting a campus lockdown and a police investigation as students prepare for the start of the new academic year.

Officers responding just before 1.30 am found five people with gunshot wounds outside campus dormitories near the university's Quad Annexes. All five were taken to hospitals. Chesterfield County police said one person, who was initially listed as having life-threatening injuries, has been upgraded to critical condition, while the others suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. The lockdown was lifted at about 9 am.

Police and university officials have not identified any of the victims or said whether they are connected to the university. In a statement, the university said the shooting involved "multiple suspects" and asked people to avoid the immediate area on Saturday morning.

After the lockdown was lifted, the university said, "A significant law enforcement presence remains on campus as the investigation into this morning's shooting continues." County police said there was a large law enforcement presence on campus on Saturday morning, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff's Office assisting in the investigation.

The shooting came as Virginia State's academic year begins. According to the university's website, residence halls opened for students a week ago and classes are due to resume on Monday. Many students had just completed the university's "New Trojans Experience" for incoming students. Virginia State University, a historically Black public university in Ettrick, Virginia, is about 24 miles south of Richmond and has about 5,700 students, most of them undergraduates. It was the first fully state-supported four-year college for Black Americans.

Arthur Fridrich, the university's former director of distance education, said the university has grown in recent years while trying to improve safety and retain its historic charm. He described the shooting, coming as students return for classes, as heartbreaking for the community. "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." The shooting left five people injured, put the campus under lockdown for several hours and cast a shadow over the start of the new session as the investigation continued.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends