One person remains in critical condition after police officers “discovered five individuals suffering from gunshot wounds outside VSU residence halls,” the university said in a statement. The officers found the injured individuals when responding to an emergency call on the block at 1:28 a.m. on Saturday, just two days ahead of the university’s fall 2026 semester start on Monday.Virginia State University, located in Ettrick as one of five historically black colleges and universities in the state of Virginia, was placed on lockdown until around 8:20 a.m. on Saturday morning as a result of the shooting. University officials said the shooting involved “multiple suspects” and remains under investigation with a heavy police presence still on campus.
Chesterfield County Police are leading the investigation, with help from the university police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, according to the university. All injured individuals were hospitalized, while four of the individuals “sustained non life threatening injuries.”The shooting occurred near the University’s Quad Annexes, by Boisseau Street and Third Avenue.EX-CAMBRIDGE PROFESSOR ACCUSED OF PLAGIARISM FOUND DEADThe University outside of Petersburg, Virginia, was founded in 1882 and has a student population of about 5,000 students. There are 11 residence halls on campus.Residence halls opened to returning students on Friday and to new, incoming University students last weekend, according to the semester schedule.This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
