Five injured in horror Virginia State University shooting as 19-year-old arrested

Five injured in horror Virginia State University shooting as 19-year-old arrested A 19-year-old has been arrested after he was found hiding in a dormitory wardrobe as five people were injured, including one with critical injuries, in a university shooting A 19-year-old boy was arrested after being found hiding in a dormitory wardrobe at Virginia State University on Saturday in connection with an overnight shooting on campus which left five people wounded, including one with critical injuries. Camron Harris of Henrico, Virginia, is not a student on campus – nor were four of the people injured, Chesterfield County Police said in a statement. The victims ranged in age from 17 to 23. One of the injured, a 20-year-old, is a student and has been released from the hospital, authorities said. Police obtained eight felony warrants for Harris, including for malicious wounding and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The university said in an earlier statement that police were searching for multiple suspects, but no additional information was provided on Saturday evening about the search. The shooting took place just after 1.30am on Saturday and came as students were getting ready for the new school year. The university was placed on lockdown but this was later lifted as law enforcement did not believe there was an immediate threat to the campus community. It happened near the university’s Quad Annexes, where campus police and Chesterfield County officers discovered five people suffering from gunshot wounds outside dormitories. According to the university’s website, residence halls opened for students a week ago and classes resume on Monday. Many students had just completed the university’s “New Trojans Experience” for incoming students. “We recognise the concern this incident has caused among our students, parents, alumni, friends, and the broader VSU community,” the university statement said. “The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority.” A large police presence remained in place on Saturday morning. The university has grown in recent years while attempting to improve safety and retain its historic charm, said Arthur Fridrich, the university’s former director of distance education, who lives near the campus and visits regularly. A shooting like this just as students return for classes is heartbreaking for the community, he said. “To start a new year with this event is very tragic. It casts a shadow in the minds of all students, and for some it will be difficult to rid their minds of this term,” Mr Fridrich said. “For those that were shot, my heart bleeds. I hope that they all mend and somehow do not let this event define their lives.”