Five people were wounded in the early-morning campus shooting, and police are now seeking others who may have fired weapons.
ETTRICK, Va. — A 19-year-old man accused in a shooting that wounded five people at Virginia State University was arrested after police found him hiding in a dormitory closet more than 14 hours after gunfire erupted outside campus residence halls.
Camron Harris of Henrico was found at about 4 p.m. Saturday inside Seward Hall and taken into custody, according to Chesterfield County police. Harris is not a Virginia State University student. Authorities obtained eight felony warrants against him, including four counts of malicious wounding and four counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was being held without bond at the Chesterfield County Jail.
The shooting happened at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday near the university’s Quad Annexes in the 3300 block of Boisseau Street. Campus police and Chesterfield County officers found five people suffering from gunshot wounds outside residence halls. All five were taken to hospitals. A 21-year-old man who is not a student remained in critical condition, while three other nonstudents suffered injuries described as not life-threatening. A 20-year-old VSU student was treated and released.
The victims ranged in age from 17 to 23. Police have not publicly identified them. Authorities also have not announced a motive for the shooting, and investigators were continuing to determine what led to the gunfire. Police said additional charges against Harris remain possible as the investigation develops.
The investigation expanded Sunday as police said they were looking for additional people who fired weapons during the incident. Chesterfield County police Lt. James Lamb said investigators were working to determine whether those people fired in self-defense or were among the aggressors. Authorities had not said how many additional people may have discharged firearms or publicly identified them.
The shooting prompted Virginia State University to place the campus on lockdown early Saturday. University officials later lifted the lockdown after law enforcement determined there was no immediate threat to the campus community. The university said police would maintain an increased presence while investigators continued their work.
The violence occurred as students were returning to campus ahead of the new academic year. Many incoming students had recently taken part in Virginia State University’s New Trojans Experience orientation activities. Classes were scheduled to resume Monday. The shooting and subsequent search unfolded in the university’s residential area during a period when students and families were preparing for the start of classes.
Harris was discovered inside Seward Hall several hours after the campus lockdown had been lifted. Police said he was arrested without announcing additional details about how investigators located him inside the residence hall. Authorities have not said publicly why Harris, who is not enrolled at the university, was on campus or how long he had been inside the building.
Virginia State University is a public historically Black university in Ettrick, about 24 miles south of Richmond. The university has about 5,700 students. State and federal agencies have assisted local authorities with the shooting investigation, including Virginia State University Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The investigation remained active Sunday, with authorities seeking to identify other people who may have fired weapons and determine their roles in the confrontation. Police have not released a suspected motive, and the circumstances that led to the shooting remain under investigation.
Author note: Last updated August 16, 2026.