(VIDEO) Five Shot Outside Virginia State University Dorms, One In Critical Condition, Lockdown Now Lifted

ETTRICK, Va. — Five people were injured in a shooting outside dormitories at Virginia State University early Saturday morning, prompting a campus-wide lockdown that was lifted several hours later as investigators continued searching for multiple suspects.

Officers were called to the 3300 block of Boisseau Street at approximately 1:30 a.m. following a report of gunfire, according to Lt. James Lamb of the Chesterfield County Police Department. When officers arrived, they found five people suffering from gunshot wounds outside the university’s Quad Annexes, a residence hall area near Boisseau Street and Third Avenue. All five were transported to nearby hospitals.

One victim, initially listed with life-threatening injuries, was later upgraded to critical condition, according to county police. The remaining four victims sustained injuries described as not life-threatening. Sources familiar with the investigation told a local television reporter the wounds appeared to be graze injuries, though that characterization had not been officially confirmed by police as of Saturday morning.

Virginia State University said in a statement that the shooting involved multiple suspects, though authorities had not announced any arrests as of Saturday morning. Lamb said law enforcement remained heavily deployed on campus as the investigation continued. “A significant law enforcement presence remains on campus as investigators process the scene,” Lamb said, adding that Virginia State University Police, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office were all assisting Chesterfield County police with the investigation.

In its own statement, the university confirmed that multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the response. “VSU Police and the Chesterfield County Police Department are actively investigating,” the university said, urging students and the broader campus community to continue avoiding the area and to follow all instructions from law enforcement personnel on scene.

The university placed its campus on lockdown immediately following the shooting. VSU Police Chief David Bragg announced around 8:20 a.m. that the lockdown had been lifted and that normal access to campus could resume, though officials cautioned that a heightened law enforcement presence would remain in place while the investigation continued.

The shooting occurred at a particularly sensitive moment for the university. Residence halls had opened to returning students just a day earlier, on Friday, ahead of the start of classes for the new academic year, scheduled to begin Monday. The university had marked the occasion that same Friday morning with a pinning ceremony welcoming nearly 1,500 new students, featuring former NFL Most Valuable Player Cam Newton as the event’s guest speaker.

Virginia State University is a historically Black public university located in Ettrick, Virginia, roughly 24 miles south of Richmond. Founded in 1882, the school holds the distinction of being the first fully state-supported four-year college established for Black Americans in the United States. The university currently enrolls approximately 5,700 students.

Officials have asked anyone with information about the shooting to come forward. The university directed tips to Chesterfield County Police at 804-748-1251, the Crime Solvers tip line at 804-748-0660, or Virginia State University Police directly at 804-524-5411.

Saturday’s shooting adds to a series of gun violence incidents that have affected college campuses across Virginia and the broader country in recent years. In November 2022, a shooting at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville left three football players dead and two other people injured, prompting an hours-long manhunt and a campus-wide shelter-in-place order. More recently, a shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk left one person dead and additional victims injured among members of the school’s ROTC program.

As of Saturday morning, no additional details had been released regarding the circumstances that led to the shooting at Virginia State University, including a possible motive or the relationship, if any, between the shooters and the victims. Investigators had not indicated whether any of the five injured individuals were current students at the university.

With the lockdown lifted and classes still scheduled to begin Monday as planned, the university’s response in the coming days is likely to focus on both the ongoing law enforcement investigation and efforts to reassure students and their families as the fall semester approaches. Chesterfield County police said the investigation remains active and ongoing, with additional updates expected as authorities work to identify those responsible.