Washington, August 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Five people were shot near the residence halls of Virginia State University in the US early Saturday, leaving one victim critically injured and triggering a temporary campus lockdown as police searched for multiple suspects.
Officers responding to the 3300 block of Boisseau Street at around 1:28 a.m. found five people with gunshot wounds outside the university’s residence halls, according to a campus safety update. All five victims were taken to nearby hospitals. One was in critical condition, while the remaining four suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The university had initially reported that multiple people had been shot near the Quad Annexes around Boisseau Street and Third Avenue and urged students and staff to avoid the area and follow law enforcement instructions.
The campus was placed under lockdown while police responded to the incident. The lockdown was subsequently lifted, although the university said a significant law enforcement presence remained on campus as the investigation continued.
Lt. James R. Lamb of the Chesterfield County Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Major Crimes Unit told CBS News that one of the victims was a university student. Investigators believe the other victims may be from surrounding communities.
Police said the incident was not a drive-by shooting and that multiple shooters were being sought. Authorities had not released the victims’ identities or ages, nor provided descriptions of the suspects or disclosed a possible motive.
The Chesterfield County Police Department is leading the investigation.
The shooting occurred as students were returning for the new academic year. Residence halls had reopened a week earlier, while classes were scheduled to begin Monday. Many incoming students had recently completed the university’s “New Trojans Experience” programme.
Virginia State University is a public historically Black university in Ettrick, about 24 miles south of Richmond. Established in 1882, it was the first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher education for Black Americans and has about 5,700 students.
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