A man was arrested in connection with a shooting that left five people injured, one of them seriously, outside the Virginia State University residence halls early Saturday, officials said. The Chesterfield County Police Department said in a statement Saturday night that a suspected shooter, identified as Camron Harris, 19, of Henrico County, was arrested in connection with the violence. Police said investigators obtained warrants for malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and said additional charges could be added later. Harris was being held at the Chesterfield County Jail. It was unclear whether Harris had obtained legal advice. The Chesterfield public defender’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday night. Harris was found Saturday afternoon hiding in a closet at the residence, the department said, adding that he is not a student at the school. Henrico County, outside Richmond, is approximately 24 miles north of the VSU campus. The campus shootings in Ettrick, Virginia, prompted a campus-wide lockdown. The university previously reported “multiple suspects” in the shooting that occurred around 1:28 a.m. One of the victims was a VSU student, described by police only as a 20-year-old man and confirmed by university officials as enrolled. The student’s injuries were not life-threatening and he was released from the hospital. Police said the other four victims of the shooting were a 21-year-old man, who was seriously injured, as well as a 17-year-old boy, a 23-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman, all three of whom suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The shooting occurred in the area of Quad Annexes, Virginia State University police said. 8:20 a.m. that the lockdown had been lifted but that there would be a large police presence on campus. The Chesterfield County Police Department is leading the investigation, the university said, with assistance from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. VSU President Makola M. Abdullah said in a statement Sunday that he is grateful that an arrest has been made and that the investigation is ongoing. “We understand the concern that an incident like this creates, particularly for parents and families who entrust their students to our care, please know that we take that responsibility seriously, and that the safety and well-being of our students and our entire university community remain among our top priorities,” Abdullah said, thanking the public for their prayers and support. “Virginia State University is a strong and resilient community,” he said. “In difficult times, that strength is evident in the way we come together, care for each other, and move forward together.” Virginia State University is a historically black university located in Ettrick, about 24 miles south of the state capital, Richmond. The public university has about 5,700 students and was the first fully state-funded four-year university for African Americans. Most of its students are university students. The shooting occurred just before the start of the academic year in the state of Virginia. According to the university’s website, residence halls opened to students a week ago and classes will begin Monday. Many students had just completed the university’s “New Trojan Experience” for incoming students.Gov. Abigail Spanberger said she was praying for the people who were shot. “Adam and I are praying for a quick recovery for those who were shot this morning at Virginia State University, and our thoughts are with the VSU community,” he wrote on X. “Thank you to the first responders and law enforcement who responded to the scene.”
