Suspect in Virginia State Shooting Found Hiding in Dorm Closet

Camron Harris, 19, spent part of Saturday folded into a closet inside a Virginia State University dorm. Police found him there around 4 p.m. and led him out in handcuffs, more than 12 hours after five people were shot outside the school's residence halls. Harris, of Henrico, is not a student at VSU. He is now sitting in the Chesterfield County Jail with no bond and eight felony charges hanging over him.

A Closet in Seward Hall

The building was Seward Hall, a three-story co-ed dorm on the campus in Ettrick, about 25 miles south of Richmond. Officers had been searching the grounds for most of the day. The hunt ended when they found Harris hiding in the closet at 4 p.m. and took him into custody.

Lt. James Lamb of the Chesterfield County Police laid out the timeline. The first calls came in at 1:28 a.m. Harris wasn't caught until the middle of the afternoon, which put the gap between the shooting and the arrest at more than 14 hours by one account. That's a long time for a suspect to stay out of sight on a campus crawling with officers.

For a good stretch of that day, the story sounded much larger than one person. Campus police first reported "multiple suspects" who scattered after the gunfire, and that early description is part of why the search dragged on and why the campus stayed locked down. As of now, Harris is the only person police have named or arrested. Whether anyone else was involved is something investigators have not answered.

What Happened Around 1:30 in the Morning

Officers were called to the 3300 block of Boisseau Street at 1:28 a.m. Saturday. What they found was five people lying outside the dorms, all of them with gunshot wounds. The shooting happened near the Quad Annexes, a group of student housing buildings around Boisseau Street and Third Avenue. Campus police put out their first alert about shots fired near the Quads at 1:58 a.m.

Students inside the buildings heard all of it. A freshman named Miles Blake said what he heard sounded like 100 shots going off outside his dorm during welcome week. Todd Macon, another incoming freshman who had been on campus for only a few days, was in his room when the gunfire started.

"Ain't nobody know what's going on, but I knew it was gunshots," Macon said. He described looking outside and watching people scatter and run in every direction. He said he wasn't expecting anything like this during his first week at school. Other students said much the same, describing the shock of hearing gunfire before they had even figured out where their classes met. All five of the wounded were taken to area hospitals in the hours that followed.

Who Got Hurt

The five people shot were young, and their ages spell that out. The victims ranged from 17 to 23 years old. A 21-year-old man took the worst of it and was listed in critical condition, described by one account as fighting for his life.

The other three non-students had injuries that were not life-threatening: a 23-year-old man, a 19-year-old woman, and a 17-year-old boy. That last one was still a minor, caught up in a shooting on a college campus he didn't even attend.

Only one of the five was actually enrolled at VSU, a 20-year-old man. His injuries were not serious, and the university confirmed he was released from the hospital. The other four had no student connection to the school at all, and neither did Harris. Police have not released the names of any of the victims, and they have given no information about what might have set off the shooting in the first place.

Hours on Lockdown

The entire campus went on lockdown within minutes. Students got an email with shelter-in-place instructions shortly after the 1:28 a.m. call. Macon said the university's messaging was clear and that he got word about the lockdown quickly. For everyone else, the early morning turned into hours of sitting tight, texting family, and waiting to hear whether it was safe to move.

The lockdown held until about 8:20 a.m., when VSU Police Chief David Bragg said law enforcement did not believe there was an immediate threat to the campus community and that normal access could resume. That announcement came before Harris was even caught, which meant the school reopened while officers were still hunting for the shooter.

A heavy police presence stayed on campus long after the lockdown lifted. Officers spent the day working the scene and searching buildings, and the university warned students that they would see plenty of law enforcement around for a while. Barricades, marked cars, and investigators moving between dorms became the backdrop to what should have been a normal weekend before class.

Eight Felony Warrants

After Harris was booked into the Chesterfield County Jail, police obtained eight felony warrants against him. Four are for malicious wounding, and four are for use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He is being held without bond, and authorities said more charges could be added as the investigation continues.

That's an unusual count when you remember five people were shot, not four. Police have not explained the math publicly, and the number could change as the case develops and investigators piece together exactly who fired and when.

It was not clear on Saturday night whether Harris had a lawyer. The Chesterfield public defender's office did not respond to a request for comment that evening. His arrest is only the start of a court process that will play out over the coming weeks and months, with the felony charges carrying serious prison time if a conviction follows.

Shot Days Before the First Day of Class

The timing landed at the worst possible moment. Residence halls had only opened about a week earlier, and classes were set to begin Monday. A lot of the students on campus had just wrapped up the "New Trojans Experience," VSU's orientation program for incoming freshmen. So many of the people who heard the gunfire were teenagers who had been living there for a matter of days.

VSU is a state-supported historically Black university, home to the Trojans, and it sits in the small community of Ettrick just outside Petersburg. Welcome week is supposed to be the easy part, all move-in energy and meeting your hall mates before the work starts. Instead, the freshman class spent one of its first weekends under a campus-wide lockdown, refreshing email for updates.

The school addressed the fallout directly. "We recognize the concern this incident has caused among our students, parents, alumni, friends, and the broader VSU community," the university said in a statement, adding that student safety remained its highest priority.

Still Plenty of Questions

Police have not offered a motive. They have not said how Harris ended up inside a dorm that was on lockdown, or how he stayed out of sight during a daylong search involving several agencies. The investigation is being led by Chesterfield County Police, with help from VSU Police, the ATF, and the Hanover County Sheriff's Office.

State lawmakers spoke up throughout the day. One said he and a colleague were "praying for a quick recovery" for the people who were shot. Another called it a "senseless act of violence" and said his heart was with the families. A third said he was "heartbroken" over the shooting. Several thanked first responders and asked the public to keep the VSU community in mind.

For students and parents, the question now is what the school changes. VSU said it would keep an increased police presence on campus and told students to watch their email for new safety measures and support resources. Anyone with information is asked to call Chesterfield County Police at 804-748-1251 or Crime Solvers at 804-748-0660.