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Police Arrest 19-Year-Old Suspect in Virginia State University Shooting Wounding Five

Politics30 sourcesAug 16, 2026
SplitFactual rigor 49/100

Police arrested Camron Harris, 19, of Henrico, Virginia, on Saturday in connection with an overnight shooting at Virginia State University.

Officers found Harris hiding in a dormitory closet at Seward Hall around 4 p.m., more than 12 hours after the incident. Police obtained eight felony warrants for Harris, including four for malicious wounding and four for the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Harris is being held without bond at the Chesterfield County Jail.

The shooting occurred just after 1:30 a.m. Saturday near the university's Quad Annexes, outside campus dormitories. Five people sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to local hospitals. One person, a 21-year-old man, was initially listed with life-threatening injuries and was later upgraded to critical condition. Four others had non-life-threatening injuries. A 20-year-old student was among the injured and has been released from the hospital.

Four of the injured, ranging in age from 17 to 23, are not students on campus. Harris is also not a student at the university. The incident prompted a campus lockdown, which was later lifted. University officials initially stated authorities were searching for multiple suspects. Lieutenant James R. Lamb of the Chesterfield County Police Department told the BBC that investigators believed more than one shooter was involved and that suspects were still at large before Harris's arrest.

Police have not provided additional information about the search for other suspects since Harris's arrest. The university stated that law enforcement did not believe there was an immediate threat to the campus community after the lockdown was lifted. VSU Police will maintain an increased presence on campus. Residence halls opened for students a week ago, and classes are set to resume on Monday. Authorities have not provided information about a possible motive. It was not immediately clear if Harris had an attorney.

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