19-Year-Old Arrested After Five Shot at Virginia State University Days Before Classes Begin

Five people were shot outside residence halls at Virginia State University shortly before 1:30 a.m. Saturday, just days before the historically Black university's fall classes were set to begin Monday.

Chesterfield County Police found Camron Harris, 19, of Henrico, Virginia, hiding in a closet in Seward Hall, a campus dormitory, at about 4 p.m. Saturday, more than 12 hours after the shooting was reported, according to ABC News. Harris is not a VSU student.

Police obtained eight felony warrants for Harris, four counts of malicious wounding and four counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to CBS News. He's being held without bond at Chesterfield County Jail. It's not clear whether he has an attorney.

Lt. James R. Lamb of the Chesterfield County Police Department's Criminal Investigations Major Crimes Unit told CBS News the shooting was not a drive-by and that investigators were working from the start on the theory that multiple shooters were involved. The university's own statement Saturday morning said the incident involved "multiple suspects," and NYC News 24, cited by Breitbart, reported police were still looking for additional people connected to the shooting even after Harris's arrest.

Harris faces charges tied to the shooting, but police have not said whether he acted alone despite the felony warrants, or whether other shooters remain at large. Chesterfield County Police gave no additional details Saturday evening about the broader search, and no motive has been made public by any source.

Who got hurt

Of the five wounded, only one is a VSU student, a 20-year-old who sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was released from the hospital, according to police and the university. The other four, a 21-year-old man, a 23-year-old man, a 19-year-old woman and a 17-year-old, are not students, ABC News reported. Investigators believe they may be from surrounding communities, Lamb told CBS News.

The 21-year-old man was initially listed in life-threatening condition and was later upgraded to critical, according to a Saturday night police release. The rest of the injuries are not considered life-threatening.

The scene and the timeline

The shooting happened near VSU's Quad Annexes, outside student dormitories, according to NBC News reporting cited by Breitbart and confirmed by CNBC. Campus police and Chesterfield County officers responded and found the five victims suffering gunshot wounds. A campus lockdown went into effect and was lifted later Saturday, though the university said "a significant law enforcement presence remains on campus" as the investigation continues.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff's Office assisted Chesterfield County Police, according to the university and multiple outlets including The Independent and CBS News.

The timing stings. Residence halls at VSU opened for students a week before the shooting, and many incoming students had just finished the school's "New Trojans Experience" orientation program, according to the university's website. Classes were scheduled to resume Monday.

Arthur Fridrich, VSU's former director of distance education who lives near campus, told the Associated Press the shooting casts "a shadow in the minds of all students" heading into the new academic year. "For those that were shot, my heart bleeds," Fridrich said. "I hope that they all mend and somehow do not let this event define their lives."

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has not been quoted in available reporting on this incident. Instead, Virginia's current Democratic officials responded publicly: Gov. Abigail Spanberger said on social media she and her husband were "praying for a quick recovery for those who were shot this morning at Virginia State University," and thanked first responders, according to The Independent. Sen. Mark Warner called it "devastating to see another Virginia campus harmed by gun violence."

VSU is a public, historically Black university in Ettrick, Virginia, about 24 miles south of Richmond, with roughly 5,700 students. It was the first fully state-supported four-year college for Black Americans, a distinction multiple outlets, including CBS News and CNBC, noted in their coverage.

What's still open

Police have not released a motive. They have not clarified how many total suspects they believe were involved, despite describing the incident from the outset as a multiple-shooter event. With four of five victims unconnected to the university itself, investigators have not said what brought that specific group of people to the Quad Annexes at 1:30 in the morning.

Chesterfield County Police said additional charges against Harris may be filed as the investigation continues. Whether anyone else is arrested, and whether the case is resolved before students return to a campus already on edge, remains to be seen.