5 people injured in shooting with multiple shooters at Virginia State University
Multiple people were injured in a shooting involving multiple suspects at Virginia State University, prompting a temporary campus lockdown early Saturday, the university said.
The shooting happened around 1:30 a.m outside a university residence hall, and both campus police and are investigating, a university statement said. When police arrived, they found five people suffering from gunshot wounds.
Lt. James R. Lamb, with the Chesterfield County Police Department's Criminal Investigations Major Crimes Unit, said officials have only confirmed one victim was a student. Investigators believe the other victims may be from the surrounding communities, Lamb told CBS News. He said the incident was not a drive-by shooting, and police are searching for multiple shooters.
The victims were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. One person is currently in critical condition, while the remaining four sustained injuries that were not life-threatening, the university said.
School officials said a "significant law enforcement presence remains on campus" as police continues its investigation. It was not immediately clear if any suspects had been arrested.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff's Office were assisting, county police said.
Virginia State University is a historically Black university 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. Classes for the new academic year were set to begin on Monday, CBS News affiliate WTVR reported.
According to the university's website, residence halls opened for students a week ago, and classes are set to begin on Monday. Many students had just completed the university's "New Trojans Experience" for incoming students.
