A 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the shooting at Virginia State University that left five people wounded early Saturday morning, including one person who remains in critical condition.
Chesterfield County Police identified the suspect as Camron Harris of Henrico, Virginia. Harris is not a Virginia State student. Police say he was found hiding inside a closet in Seward Hall, a residence hall on the VSU campus, around 4 p.m. Saturday — more than 12 hours after the shooting.
Harris faces eight felony warrants, including four counts of malicious wounding and four counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. Additional charges remain possible as the investigation continues.
The arrest adds a new layer to a shooting that placed the HBCU on lockdown just days before the start of the fall semester.
One Virginia State University student among five victims
The shooting happened around 1:30 a.m. Saturday near the Quad Annexes, a residential area on the Virginia State campus.
Five people between the ages of 17 and 23 were shot. Police say four of the five victims are not Virginia State students.
The lone VSU student among the victims is 20 years old. The university said the student suffered non-life-threatening injuries and has since been released from the hospital.
Another victim, a 21-year-old man who is not enrolled at Virginia State, remained in critical condition following the shooting. The remaining victims are expected to recover.
Authorities have not publicly released the names of the victims or provided a motive for the shooting.
Virginia State initially said multiple suspects were believed to have been involved. Chesterfield County Police has continued investigating whether additional people played a role, even after Harris was taken into custody.
Arrest raises new campus security questions
The circumstances surrounding Harris’ arrest now create another question for the university.
Police say a person who was not enrolled at Virginia State was able to enter Seward Hall and remain hidden inside the residence hall for hours while law enforcement searched the campus.
It was not immediately clear how Harris entered the building, whether he had access through a student or guest, or how long he had been inside Seward Hall before police located him.
Those questions are likely to become part of the broader campus-safety conversation as students return for the new academic year.
Virginia State lifted its lockdown Saturday morning after law enforcement determined there was no immediate threat to the campus community. The university said VSU Police would maintain an increased presence while the investigation continued.
Classes are scheduled to begin Monday.
Virginia State University investigation continues
The shooting came during the opening days of the fall semester, when students and families were arriving on campus and participating in orientation activities.
Virginia State had welcomed approximately 1,500 incoming students shortly before the shooting.
Now the university begins the academic year with one suspect in custody and several unanswered questions surrounding what happened outside its residence halls.
Chesterfield County Police is leading the investigation with assistance from Virginia State University Police and federal and local law-enforcement partners.
Harris’ arrest provides one significant answer.
The investigation into how a shooting involving five people unfolded in a residential section of the Virginia State campus — and how a suspect ended up hiding inside a residence hall afterward — is still ongoing.