Suspect in Virginia State University shooting found hiding in dorm closet
A man suspected of wounding five people in a shooting at Virginia State University spent more than 14 hours hiding in a dormitory closet before being arrested. One victim remains in critical condition.
Police in Virginia have arrested 19-year-old Camron Harris in connection with a shooting that wounded five people on the campus of Virginia State University (VSU) early Saturday. Harris was located inside Seward Hall, a dormitory building, at around 4pm local time — meaning he had reportedly been hiding in a closet for more than 14 hours since the shooting occurred.
The shooting took place at approximately 1:30am Saturday near campus dormitories. Harris is not enrolled as a student at VSU and lives in nearby Henrico. He is expected to face four counts each of malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and is currently being held without bond. Police said further charges could still be filed.
Victims' condition
When officers arrived at the scene, they found five people suffering from gunshot wounds. All were taken to local hospitals; one victim's injuries are life-threatening and that person remains in critical condition, while the other four sustained non-life-threatening wounds. At least one victim, a 20-year-old, has been confirmed as a VSU student.
Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive, saying the investigation is ongoing. Shortly after the shooting, the university said it believed multiple suspects were involved and placed the campus under a temporary lockdown, later confirming there was no further immediate threat to the community.
VSU is a public university located about 20 miles south of Richmond with roughly 5,700 students, most of them undergraduates. Many incoming students had just finished an orientation event for new arrivals on the day of the shooting.
The incident adds to a tally of more than 300 mass shootings recorded across the US so far this year, according to a nonpartisan tracking organization. Recurring mass shootings at schools and universities have continued to fuel calls for stronger federal gun control measures, though Congress has not enacted such restrictions.
