Five people were shot outside Virginia State University dormitories early Saturday morning, leaving one victim in critical condition and forcing the campus into lockdown just before the fall semester begins.

At least one of the victims is a VSU student. The university says that student suffered non-life-threatening injuries and has already been released from the hospital.

Students were supposed to be thinking about move-in, orientation and Monday’s first classes. Instead, a major police response surrounded part of the campus before sunrise while investigators began searching for multiple suspects.

The university’s first safety alert said the shooting happened near the Quad Annexes, in the area of Boisseau Street and Third Avenue. It told the campus community to avoid the area while VSU Police and Chesterfield County Police investigated.

That early alert said the injuries did not appear to be life-threatening. Later police reporting placed one of the five victims in critical condition, underscoring how quickly the facts were changing during the first hours of the investigation.

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WTVR CBS 6 reports that officers were called to the 3300 block of Boisseau Street at about 1:30 a.m. When they arrived, they found five people suffering from gunshot wounds outside the residence halls near the Quad Annexes.

All five victims were taken to area hospitals. One remained in critical condition, while the other four were treated for injuries described as non-life-threatening.

A significant law-enforcement presence remained on campus as investigators processed the scene. VSU Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office were assisting Chesterfield County Police.

No arrests, suspect identities or explanation for what led to the shooting had been announced in the latest local update. The WTVR report also includes scene video showing the law-enforcement response on campus.

Hours after the first alert, Virginia State University confirmed that five people had been wounded and that one of them was a student. The school said the student was released from the hospital after treatment.

The same update said law enforcement no longer believed there was an immediate threat to the campus community. The lockdown was lifted, but VSU Police planned to maintain an increased presence while the investigation continued.

Associated Press reports that the shooting came as students were returning for a new academic year. Residence halls had opened for new students a week earlier, and continuing students were scheduled to move in Friday and Saturday.

Incoming students had just completed the university’s New Trojans Experience. Fall classes are scheduled to begin Monday.

Authorities had not publicly identified any of the five victims. The investigation remained focused on multiple suspects, with no immediate threat believed to be facing the wider campus community after the lockdown ended.

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The timing makes the violence especially jarring. Thousands of students and families were arriving on campus for what should have been the beginning of a new chapter.

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger said she and her husband were praying for the victims’ recovery and thanked the first responders and officers who rushed to the scene.

The immediate danger may have eased, but the investigation is far from over. Five people were wounded outside campus homes, one remains critically injured, and the people responsible have not yet been publicly identified or arrested.

Anyone with information can contact Chesterfield County Police at 804-748-1251, Crime Solvers at 804-748-0660 or VSU Police at 804-524-5411.

The wounded, their families and the entire VSU community deserve answers—and they deserve the people responsible to be found.

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This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

 

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