Camron Harris, 19, was arrested after being found hiding in a Seward Hall dorm closet about 14 hours after five people were shot near Virginia State University. Harris, who is not a VSU student, faces multiple counts of malicious wounding and firearm offenses and is being held without bond. Five victims were hospitalized—one in critical condition—and police said the investigation into a motive is ongoing while the university confirmed there was no additional immediate threat to campus.
19-Year-Old Arrested After Being Found Hiding in Dorm Closet Following Virginia State University Shooting
Police investigate the scene of a shooting on the campus of Virginia State University on Saturday, in Petersburg, Virginia.Photograph: WWBT/AP
Camron Harris, 19, was arrested after being discovered hiding in a dormitory closet more than 14 hours after five people were shot near Virginia State University (VSU), authorities said.
Henrico County police, speaking to local outlet WTVR, said officers found Harris inside Seward Hall at about 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The shooting was first reported at roughly 1:30 a.m., when responding Chesterfield County officers located five people with gunshot wounds outside campus residence halls.
Harris, who is not enrolled at VSU, was taken to the Chesterfield County jail and booked on four counts of malicious wounding and four counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was being held without bond and authorities said additional charges could be filed as the investigation continues.
All five victims were transported to local hospitals. One victim was reported in critical condition with a life-threatening injury; the other four sustained non-life-threatening wounds. Investigators confirmed at least one victim was a 20-year-old VSU student.
Police have not released information about a possible motive, and the investigation remains active. VSU initially said the incident appeared to involve “multiple suspects” and briefly placed the campus on lockdown. University officials later said they did not believe there was any additional, immediate threat to campus safety.
“We recognize the concern this incident has caused among our students, parents, alumni, friends, and the broader VSU community,” the university said in a statement. “The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority.”
Virginia State University is a public institution about 20 miles (32 km) south of Richmond that enrolls roughly 5,700 students, most of them undergraduates. Many attendees had just completed the university’s “New Trojans Experience” for incoming students prior to the shooting.
Context
The Gun Violence Archive reported there had been more than 300 mass shootings nationwide so far this year; the nonprofit defines a mass shooting as an event in which at least four people are shot or killed. Separate mass shooting incidents continued to be reported elsewhere in the U.S., including a Saturday evening attack in Lexington, Kentucky, that left one person dead and four wounded.
Authorities asked anyone with information about the VSU incident to contact investigators as they work to determine the events leading up to the shooting and any possible motive.
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