Multiple suspects on the run after Virginia State University shooting leaves 5 wounded

PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA: A shooting at Virginia State University early Saturday, August 15 left five people wounded and sent a heavy law enforcement presence onto the campus as investigators searched for multiple suspects.

One victim was in critical condition, while four others were hospitalized with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Police has not announced any arrests as the investigation continues.

Police probes horrific shooting

The shooting was reported near the university’s Quad Annexes, close to campus residence halls at around 1:30 am.

When police arrived, they found five people suffering from gunshot wounds outside the dormitory area.

The victims were transported to area hospitals for treatment. Authorities said one person remained in critical condition, while the other four were expected to survive their injuries.

Virginia State University police and investigators were working together to determine what led to the shooting and identify everyone involved.

Officials said multiple suspects were being sought.

The university urged students and others on campus to stay away from the area while officers worked the scene and put it under lockdown.

Police later informed the lockdown was lifted.

“VSU Police and the Chesterfield County Police Department are actively investigating,” the university said, while asking the campus community to follow instructions from law enforcement.

Authorities had not immediately released details about the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including what may have triggered the violence or whether the victims were students.

Shooting just before classes began

The violence unfolded at a particularly busy time for the university.

Virginia State had already opened its residence halls, with classes scheduled to begin Monday.

Many students had recently taken part in the university's program for incoming students, as preparations for the new academic year got underway.

Virginia State University is a historically Black public university with about 5,700 students.

It was the first fully state-supported four-year college established for Black Americans.

The menace of gun violence 

Gun violence has continued to affect campuses across the US.

Gun Violence Archive data shows that 100 shooting incidents at higher education institutions in 2025 resulted in people being wounded or killed, compared with 75 recorded in 2024.

Virginia has also witnessed some of the deadliest campus shootings in the country.

Very recently, earlier this year, a shooting targeting an ROTC group at Old Dominion University left an instructor dead and two others wounded, adding to concerns over gun violence on American college campuses.