Virginia State University Shooting Leaves 5 Wounded, Campus On Lockdown

Five people were wounded after several gunmen were believed to have opened fire near the Quad Annexes at Virginia State University in the early hours of Saturday, with the Chesterfield County campus placed on lockdown, New York Post reported.

The shooting occurred at around 1:30 a.m., WTVR reported, citing the Chesterfield County Police Department. Several gunmen were believed to have opened fire near the Quad Annexes. Five people were taken to area hospitals with gunshot wounds, while one victim was in critical condition, according to police.

The university urged its campus community to stay away from the area and follow instructions from law enforcement as VSU and Chesterfield County police investigated the shooting.

“The campus community should continue to avoid the area and follow all law enforcement instructions,” VSU said in a statement shared to Facebook.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was also at the scene assisting with the investigation, according to authorities. New York Post reported that no arrests had been made and no additional information about the shooting had been released.

The shooting occurred after VSU welcomed 1,500 freshmen on Friday night at an event featuring a speech by former NFL MVP Cam Newton.

Virginia State University is a historically Black university located about 24 miles south of Richmond, the state capital.