5 injured in Virginia State University shooting with multiple suspects

A shooting involving multiple suspects left five people injured at Virginia State University early Saturday morning, prompting a campus lockdown just days before the fall semester was set to begin. The incident occurred near the university's Quad Annexes in the area of Boisseau Street, according to school officials.

Chesterfield County police reported that officers responded to the 3300 block of Boisseau Street around 1:30 a.m. local time on August 15, 2026. They discovered five victims suffering from gunshot wounds outside of university residence halls. All five individuals were transported to local hospitals. Authorities stated that one victim was initially listed in life-threatening condition, which was later upgraded to critical. The other four victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

The Virginia State University Office of Communications announced the lockdown just before 5 a.m., advising the campus community to avoid the immediate area. The university confirmed the shooting involved "multiple suspects," but a motive was not immediately disclosed. By mid-morning, officials reported that the lockdown had been lifted and normal access to the campus could resume.