Virginia State University went into lockdown Monday night after a person was reported shot on the east side of campus, with emergency alerts telling students to shelter in place as police investigated near the Gateway and Moore Hall dormitories and asked people to avoid the area. One person was injured, though officials had not released details about that person's condition or identity as of early Tuesday.
Emergency alerts began going out around 10 p.m. Monday, warning that shots had been fired near the Gateway area and telling people to avoid it, according to 12 On Your Side. The alerts told students to head to the nearest safe room, lock their doors and shelter in place until an official all-clear was issued. The Progress Index reported that an emergency alert said a person had been reported shot on the east side of campus and that a lockdown was in place.
A follow-up alert around 11:15 p.m. confirmed one person had been injured and that the lockdown remained in effect, the station's report said. VSU Police also told students to avoid the area entirely while officers worked the scene. By the time of a later update, WAVY reported that police had confirmed one person was hurt, though the extent of that person's injuries was not yet known.
Lockdown Lifted Before Dawn, Questions Remain
The lockdown was lifted just before 1 a.m. Tuesday, but police continued asking people to avoid the area around Moore Hall and Gateway while the investigation continued, per the same account. Officers had not shared further details about the victim or about any suspects as of that report. The Progress Index similarly noted that the victim's student status had not been disclosed and that the extent of the injuries remained unavailable, with the university making no immediate public statements while the investigation was in its early stages.
Gateway Hall and Moore Hall serve as third- and fourth-year student dormitories sitting at the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights line, together housing almost 1,100 students. Moore Hall opened in 2008 and Gateway Hall followed in 2012, according to facts cited in The Progress Index's reporting.
Second Shooting on Campus Since August
Monday night's shooting marked the second reported at VSU's Ettrick campus since Aug. 15, when five people were shot in the Quad Annexes as classes were due to start Monday. WAVY noted that Monday's incident came just a few months after that earlier shooting left five people hurt on campus.
In the August shooting, four males and one female were shot, according to vadogwood.com. One victim was critically injured while the others, including a VSU student, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. That campus was also placed on lockdown immediately after the shooting was reported, with the lockdown lifted hours later. Police said the suspect in that case was identified as 19-year-old Camron Harris of Henrico County, who was found hiding in a closet inside one of the dorms; he was being held at the Chesterfield County Jail facing at least eight weapons charges, per that report.
