Virginia State University lifted an early-morning lockdown Saturday after a shooting near the HBCU campus residence halls left five people wounded, including one person in critical condition.
The shooting occurred shortly before 1:30 a.m. in the 3300 block of Boisseau Street, where officers found five people suffering from gunshot wounds outside VSU residence halls. All five victims were transported to area hospitals. Four suffered injuries described as non-life-threatening, while one remained in critical condition Saturday morning.
Virginia State announced that the lockdown had been lifted but said a significant law-enforcement presence remained on campus as the investigation continued.
Chesterfield County Police is leading the investigation with assistance from Virginia State University Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities had not publicly identified the victims as of Saturday morning, and it was not immediately clear whether any of those injured were students at the HBCU.
Virginia State begins fall semester under cloud of investigation
The timing of the shooting adds another layer of concern for the university.
Virginia State was preparing to begin the fall semester on Monday, Aug. 17, after welcoming approximately 1,500 freshmen to campus. The university had not announced any changes to the academic calendar as of Saturday morning.
The shooting comes at a particularly sensitive moment as students and families are moving onto campus and preparing for the start of classes.
Virginia State has urged anyone with information to contact Chesterfield County Police, Crime Solvers or VSU Police.
The university said additional updates would be provided as more information becomes available.
Questions remain after shooting
Several key questions remain unanswered.
Police have not publicly said what led to the shooting, whether the victims knew one another, or whether any suspects have been identified or taken into custody.
Earlier reports suggested multiple suspects may have been involved.
The HBCU also had not said whether the shooting would impact student move-in, orientation activities or other campus events scheduled for the weekend.
For Virginia State, the incident raises immediate concerns around campus safety just days before the start of the academic year.
It also follows another shooting on or near the Virginia State campus in August 2024, when four people were injured. In that case, Virginia State said none of the victims were enrolled students.
At this point, however, the priority remains determining who was involved in Saturday’s shooting and whether there is any ongoing threat to the campus community.
Virginia State has lifted the lockdown, but the investigation is far from over.
With one person critically injured and four others recovering, law enforcement is now working to determine what happened outside the residence halls in the early morning hours and who was responsible.