Classes are set to resume Monday as police investigate the shooting, maintain an increased presence and examine whether others were involved.
ETTRICK, Va. — Virginia State University is preparing to begin fall classes Monday under heightened security after an overnight campus shooting wounded five people, prompted a lockdown and led to the arrest of a 19-year-old man found hiding in a dormitory closet.
The shooting arrived at a particularly sensitive moment for the historically Black public university south of Richmond. Residence halls had opened for students about a week earlier, and many incoming students had just completed the school’s New Trojans Experience orientation. Instead of an ordinary opening weekend, students and families faced hours of restricted campus access while law enforcement searched for people connected to the gunfire.
Officers were called shortly before 1:30 a.m. Saturday to the area of Boisseau Street near the Quad Annexes, where authorities found five people suffering from gunshot wounds outside campus dormitories. One of those wounded, a 20-year-old Virginia State University student, was later released from the hospital. The other four were not students, police said.
A 21-year-old man remained critically injured, while the remaining victims were expected to recover, according to authorities. The victims ranged in age from 17 to 23, and their names had not been released. Police have not announced what led to the shooting or described a possible motive.
The university placed the campus on lockdown as police investigated and searched for suspects. Virginia State University Police Chief David Bragg announced around 8:20 a.m. Saturday that the lockdown had been lifted and normal access could resume, though students were asked to remain aware of continuing law enforcement activity around the investigation area.
Later Saturday, Chesterfield County Police said officers found Camron Harris, 19, of Henrico hiding in a closet inside Seward Hall. Harris is not enrolled at Virginia State University. Police obtained eight felony warrants against him, including four counts of malicious wounding and four counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was taken to the Chesterfield County Jail and held without bond.
The university had initially reported that authorities were looking for multiple suspects. Chesterfield County Police subsequently said investigators were continuing to look for additional people, leaving questions about whether anyone else may face charges. No immediate threat to the broader campus community was believed to remain after the lockdown was lifted, university officials said.
Students who spoke with local news outlets described hearing gunfire and receiving university messages about the lockdown soon afterward. The university also advised students to continue monitoring school email for additional safety measures and information about support resources. A heavier police presence remained visible as investigators worked around the campus.
Chesterfield County Police are leading the criminal investigation. Virginia State University Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office are assisting. Authorities had not released a motive as of Sunday and had not provided a final determination about whether Harris was the only person alleged to have participated in the shooting.
The timing puts university officials in the position of reopening normal campus operations while a serious criminal investigation remains active. Virginia State University has about 5,700 students, most of them undergraduates, and is a historically Black institution with roots dating to the 19th century. The shooting occurred just as another group of students was beginning its academic year.
Classes remained scheduled to resume Monday. Police continued investigating the shooting Sunday, while the university maintained additional security and directed students to official campus communications for any changes to safety measures or access.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 16, 2026.