Five injured in shooting at Virginia State University before start of classes

Five people were injured in a shooting at Virginia State University early Saturday as students got ready to start a new school year.

At least one student is among the wounded after the shooting near the university's Quad Annexes at around 1:30 a.m. local time. Police rushed to the campus and found five people suffering from gunshot wounds near student dormitories.

They were taken to hospitals, where one was in critical condition, county police said. The other victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

The university said in a statement that the shooting involved “multiple suspects” and urged people to avoid the immediate area.

“VSU Police and the Chesterfield County Police Department are actively investigating,” the university statement said. “The campus community should continue to avoid the area and follow all law enforcement instructions.”

There was a large law enforcement presence on campus in the hours that followed the shooting as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff's Office assist police.

Virginia State Police deferred questions to local police, who are leading the investigation. County police and campus officials said there would be more information later in the day.

Virginia State University is a historically Black university located in Ettrick, Virginia, about 24 miles south of the state capital of Richmond. The public university has about 5,700 students and was the first fully state-supported four-year college for Black Americans. Most of its students are undergraduates.

The shootings happened just before the start of the academic year at Virginia State.

Residence halls opened for students a week ago and classes are set to begin on Monday, according to the university's website. Many students had just completed the university's “New Trojans Experience” for incoming students.

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.

“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,” 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.”

Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, said via social media that she and her husband were “praying for a quick recovery for those who were shot this morning at Virginia State University, and our thoughts are with the VSU community.” She also thanked first responders and law enforcement.

Sen. Mark Warner, also a Democrat, said it was “devastating to see another Virginia campus harmed by gun violence.”