Five injured in shooting at Virginia State University; suspect arrested after 12-hour search

Five people were injured in a shooting outside a residence hall at Virginia State University early Saturday, with one victim listed in critical condition, according to reporting by ABC News and CBS News. A 19-year-old suspect was arrested more than 12 hours after the incident as classes prepared to begin Monday.

The shooting occurred around 1:30 a.m. outside a university residence hall on the campus in Ettrick, Virginia, about 24 miles south of Richmond. Camron Harris, 19, of Henrico, Virginia, was found hiding in a closet in Seward Hall at about 4 p.m., per ABC News reporting. Harris is not a student at the university.

Eight felony warrants were obtained for Harris, according to CBS News: four counts of malicious wounding and four counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Harris is being held without bond, per ABC News.

One victim, a 20-year-old VSU student, sustained non-life threatening injuries and was released from the hospital. A 21-year-old man was initially listed as having life-threatening injuries and was upgraded to critical condition. The other three victims were a 23-year-old man, a 19-year-old woman, and a 17-year-old, per ABC News. Four of the five injured are not students at the university, according to the reporting.

Lieutenant James R. Lamb with Chesterfield County Police told CBS News that one victim was a student and investigators believe the other victims may be from surrounding communities. Before Harris's arrest, Lamb said the incident was not a drive-by shooting and police were searching for multiple shooters. Authorities have provided no information about a possible motive, per CBS News.

The incident prompted a temporary campus lockdown that was later lifted. A significant law enforcement presence remained on campus during the investigation, which involved Chesterfield County Police, Virginia State University Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hanover County Sheriff's Office. VSU Police said they would maintain an increased presence on campus as the investigation continues.

Virginia State University is a historically Black university with about 5,700 students and was the first fully state-supported four-year college for Black Americans. Residence halls opened for students a week before the shooting, and many had just completed the university's orientation program for incoming students. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger released a statement saying, "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. Thank you to the first responders and law enforcement who responded to the scene," according to ABC News. Senator Mark Warner, D-Va., stated in reporting by ABC News: "I'm thinking of all who were injured and of the entire VSU community after this tragedy. It's devastating to see another Virginia campus harmed by gun violence."