A young man suspected of connection to a shooting on the campus of Virginia State University (VSU) that left five people injured was found hiding in a dormitory closet and arrested after a lengthy manhunt, authorities said.
The suspect, identified as 19-year-old Camron Harris, was located inside Seward Hall on the VSU campus at approximately 4:00 p.m., according to local police Lieutenant James Lamb, as reported by Virginia news outlet WTVR. The incident unfolded early Saturday morning, around 1:30 a.m.
Harris, a Henrico, Virginia resident who is not currently enrolled as a student at the university, was transported to the Chesterfield County Jail. He faces four counts of malicious wounding and four counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. He is currently being held without bond, and authorities indicated that further charges could be forthcoming.
Chesterfield County police officers responding to the scene outside campus dormitories discovered five individuals suffering from gunshot wounds. All five victims were transported to nearby hospitals, with one victim reported to have sustained life-threatening injuries and remaining in critical condition.
According to police, the remaining four victims sustained non-life-threatening wounds. At least one of the injured individuals, a 20-year-old, was confirmed to be a university student.
Authorities have not yet released details regarding a potential motive, stating that the investigation remains active and ongoing.
In an initial statement, VSU officials indicated that the shooting involved multiple suspects, prompting an immediate lockdown of the campus.
University officials later announced that following the incident, authorities did not believe there was any remaining immediate threat to the safety of the school community.
“We recognize the deep concern this incident has caused among our students, parents, alumni, friends, and the broader VSU community,” the university stated. “The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority.”
VSU is a public university located approximately 20 miles south of Richmond, serving roughly 5,700 students, predominantly undergraduates.
Many students on Saturday had just completed the university’s “New Trojans Experience” orientation event for incoming students, a name that references the school’s athletic team nickname.
As of Sunday morning, more than 300 mass shootings had been reported across the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
This nonpartisan reference resource defines mass shootings as incidents in which four or more individuals are wounded or killed.
The United States consistently experiences high numbers of mass shootings, with a significant portion occurring at school and university campuses or related activities. These alarming statistics have repeatedly sparked calls for more robust federal gun control measures, though Congress has yet to implement such restrictions over the years.
In a separate, high-profile mass shooting reported in the US on Saturday evening, one person was killed and four others were wounded at Charles Young Park in Lexington, Kentucky.
Local news outlets reported that Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers stated two children, aged four and 14, were among those shot.
Weathers declined to share details about a suspect or potential motive but assured reporters that he did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the public.