"In critical condition": 5 fight for life after shooting at university
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- A shooting involving multiple suspects outside Virginia State University dormitories left five people wounded, one critically, in the early hours of Saturday morning
- Campus police and Chesterfield County officers responded just before 1:30 am and maintained a heavy law enforcement presence throughout the morning
- The incident struck days before the start of the academic year at the historically Black university, where many students had just completed freshman orientation
Five people sustained gunshot wounds in an overnight attack near residence halls at Virginia State University in Ettrick, Virginia, triggering a lockdown that kept the campus on alert for more than seven hours.
Chesterfield County police and campus officers arrived at the scene close to 1:30 am on Saturday to find the victims outside the university's Quad Annexes.
All five were taken to hospital.
One, initially reported with life-threatening injuries, has since been upgraded to critical condition, while the remaining four are expected to survive.
Multiple Suspects Being Sought
Virginia State University confirmed in a statement that the attack involved "multiple suspects" and urged members of the public to stay away from the immediate area. The lockdown, which restricted movement across campus, was eventually lifted at around 9 a.m.
"A significant law enforcement presence remains on campus as the investigation into this morning's shooting continues," the university stated following the all-clear.
Investigators from several agencies joined local and campus police at the scene.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff's Office were both called in to assist with the inquiry.
Virginia State Police deferred all questions to Chesterfield County officers, who are leading the investigation.
Both county police and university officials indicated that further details would be released later in the day.
Timing Unsettles Campus Days Before Classes Begin
The shooting occurred at a particularly sensitive moment in the university calendar.
Residence halls had opened to students one week prior to the incident, and the university's "New Trojans Experience" orientation programme for incoming students had only recently concluded.
Classes at Virginia State are scheduled to begin on Monday.
Virginia State University is a public historically Black university with an enrolment of approximately 5,700 students, the majority of whom are undergraduates.
Founded in Ettrick, roughly 24 miles south of Richmond, it holds the distinction of being the first fully state-supported four-year college established for Black Americans.
No arrests had been announced as of Saturday morning, and investigators continued to search for those responsible for the attack.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.