19-Year-Old Arrested After Shooting Injures Five at Virginia State University

Police in Virginia have arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with a shooting at Virginia State University that left five people wounded.

Authorities said Camron Harris of Henrico, Virginia, was found hiding in a dormitory closet more than 14 hours after the shooting and taken into custody.

The incident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday near the university’s Quad Annexes, where police found five people suffering from gunshot wounds outside campus dormitories.

The victims, aged between 17 and 23, were taken to hospital. One of them, a 20-year-old student, has since been released, while another victim reportedly sustained critical injuries.

Police obtained eight felony warrants against Harris, including charges of malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Investigators, however, say they are still searching for other people who fired weapons during the incident.

Police are working to determine whether those individuals acted in self-defence or were among the aggressors.

Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive for the shooting or said how many other people may have fired weapons.

The shooting triggered a campus lockdown, which was later lifted after authorities determined there was no immediate threat to the university community.

The incident occurred just days before classes were scheduled to resume on Monday, with students returning to campus for the new academic year.

Virginia State University, a historically Black university in Ettrick, Virginia, has about 5,700 students.

The university says the safety and well-being of its students remain its highest priority, as investigators continue efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting.