Five wounded in shooting at Virginia State University, campus on lockdown

Shooting at Virginia State University

Five people were wounded in a shooting on the campus of Virginia State University in Ettrick, south of Richmond, Virginia, early on Saturday, 15 August. Police were called to the campus around 1:30 AM local time following reports of gunfire outside a university residence, CBS reported. Responding officers found five people with gunshot wounds in the area of the Quad Annexes, near residential buildings. All five were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.

According to local station WTVR, citing police, one person was in critical condition and four others had non-life-threatening injuries. The Virginia State University stated separately that none of the wounded appeared to be in life-threatening danger, a characterization that differed from the critical-condition report carried by WTVR. The university said campus police and authorities were investigating. Early reports from the university police did not provide details on the number of wounded or their conditions, with police saying updates would follow.

Critical condition1

Non-life-threatening injuries4

Critical condition

1 people

Non-life-threatening injuries

4 people

Data from the article text

Campus lockdown and investigation

The campus was placed on lockdown following the incident and remained sealed off. In a post on X, the Virginia State University police wrote:

“A shooting has occurred in the area of the Quad Annexes that involved several people, who have been transported to area hospitals. Police are on the scene and ask to avoid the area. The campus remains in a state of isolation. Updates will follow.”

The university confirmed that multiple suspects were involved in the shooting, and police were searching for them. No arrests had been made as of Saturday afternoon. Students and staff were instructed to stay away from the shooting area while officers conducted their investigation. The lockdown was described as temporary by some reports, though the campus remained in isolation as of the latest available updates. Concerns remained elevated with classes scheduled to resume on Monday, 17 August.

Separate shooting spree in Michigan

Reporting on the Virginia incident, Il Fatto Quotidiano also noted an investigation in Michigan into a series of shootings that left six people dead and one seriously wounded, including the suspected gunman. The first report came from a residence in Missaukee County, a rural area about 270 kilometres northwest of Detroit, where officers found three people dead and one gravely wounded. The suspect was identified as 39-year-old Chad Hickman, described as armed and dangerous.

A search was then launched, with law enforcement deploying emergency units, canine teams, and aircraft. A fourth victim was found at another residence during the manhunt. Hickman's vehicle was later located in a wooded area near Whitlock Lake in the town of Caldwell. Hickman and another person were found dead in the same area, bringing the total to six dead and one wounded.

“There is no threat to the population.”

Lieutenant Ashley Miller, the Michigan police press office spokesperson, said officers would continue to patrol the area while the multiple crime scenes were examined.

“We will conduct a thorough investigation and we want to make sure we keep members of our community updated on the current situation and what we discover during this process.”