Virginia State University Shooting Leaves Five Injured; Suspects Still At Large

Five people have been injured, one critically, in a shooting at Virginia State University (VSU) involving multiple suspects.

Officers responded to the incident outside the residence halls at about 01:28 local time (05:28 GMT) on Saturday, according to the university’s statement. All five individuals were found with gunshot wounds and were taken to local hospitals; four had injuries that were not life‑threatening.

Chesterfield County Police say there was more than one shooter, but no arrests have yet been made. Police are reviewing surveillance footage and have not yet identified any of the injured as suspects.

The temporary lockdown that had been imposed on the campus has been lifted, although a significant law‑enforcement presence remains on site. Classes for the new term are slated to begin on Monday, and dormitories reopened for returning students on Friday.

Lt. James R. Lamb of the Chesterfield County Police Department told the BBC that one of the victims was a student and another was under 18. The university confirmed the student’s injuries were non‑life‑threatening and that he was discharged from the hospital.

University spokesman added: “We don’t have anybody in custody. We know there was more than one shooter, so I would say the suspects are still at large.”

VSU, an historically Black college and university with about 5,000 students, sits just over 20 miles (32 km) south of Richmond, Virginia’s state capital.

Such institutions were originally created to provide higher education to African‑American students who were otherwise barred from most colleges.