Five people were shot outside residence halls at Virginia State University in the US early Saturday, leaving one person critically injured and triggering a campus lockdown. Police rushed to the area around 1:28 a.m. after reports of gunfire and found five victims, who were taken to nearby hospitals.
Authorities said one of the victims is a university student, while the others may be from surrounding communities. The lockdown was later lifted, but a heavy police presence remained on campus as investigators searched for multiple suspects. Police said the shooting was not believed to be a drive-by attack, but no suspect descriptions or motive have been released.
The incident comes as students return to campus ahead of the new academic year, with classes scheduled to begin Monday. Virginia State University, located about 24 miles south of Richmond, is a historically Black public university founded in 1882 and has around 5,700 students.
