A 19-year-old allegedly opened fire at Virginia State University overnight, and it took police 14 hours to find where he was hiding

Camron Harris, a 19-year-old from Henrico, is now in custody after being found hiding inside a closet at Seward Hall on the Virginia State University campus. As reported by New York Post, police apprehended the suspect at 4:00 PM Saturday, more than 14 hours after he allegedly opened fire at the university. He is currently being held without bond at the Chesterfield County jail while facing four counts of malicious wounding and four counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Authorities have noted that additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues. The incident began shortly before 1:30 AM Saturday, when gunfire erupted on the campus grounds. Officers arrived at the scene to find five people suffering from gunshot wounds. The victims, ranging in age from 17 to 23, were transported to local hospitals for treatment.

One of the wounded is a 20-year-old student at the university, while the other four victims are not enrolled at the school. Officials reported that one person was in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, while the others sustained non-life-threatening wounds. One victim has already been treated and released.

What the university and police said afterward

Although Virginia State University initially indicated that the shooting involved multiple suspects, authorities later clarified that they do not believe there is any additional, immediate threat to the campus community. The university was placed on a temporary lockdown following the attack. In an official statement, the school addressed the situation by saying, “We recognize the concern this incident has caused among our students, parents, alumni, friends, and the broader VSU community.”

The statement further emphasized, “The safety and wellbeing of our students remain our highest priority.” The shooting occurred just as many students were wrapping up the New Trojans Experience, an event for incoming students at the public university located south of Richmond. Police have not yet released any information regarding a potential motive for the violence. A similar case drew scrutiny when a shooter killed two people during a Florida college rampage.

The incident at Virginia State University was part of a string of violent events across the country over the weekend. In Lexington, Kentucky, a shooting at Charles Young Park occurred around 6:45 PM on Saturday. That event left one person dead and four others wounded, including children aged 4 and 14. Lexington police chief Lawrence Weathers stated that he did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the public following that shooting.

Other areas also saw violence, with four people wounded in a drive-by shooting in Chicago around 7:15 PM Saturday. Additionally, police were called to the SoulBaila nightclub in Hartford, Connecticut, at 1:40 AM Sunday following reports of a shooting that left one person dead and four others wounded. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 300 mass shootings reported across the United States so far this year.

The archive defines these events as cases where at least four victims are wounded or killed. While these incidents have sparked ongoing discussions regarding federal gun control, there have been no significant legislative changes implemented by Congress.