UPDATE: 2 charged in Virginia State University shooting that injured four (2024)

Chesterfield Sheriff Karl Leonard said two people have been charged in connection with the shooting. Xavier J. Gordon, 21, was charged with misdemeanor brandishing of a firearm and misdemeanor carrying a concealed weapon. Clyde D. White Jr., 21, was also charged with misdemeanor brandishing.

Chesterfield County police said the suspects were taken into custody at the scene. Neither are enrolled at VSU, police said. Online court records show both were arraigned at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Police said officers responded to the 200 block of Boisseau Street near the school’s gymnasium at around 12:36 a.m. for the reports of a shooting. Officers found two men and two women who had been shot.

The victims were taken to area hospitals for treatment for injuries that are not considered life-threatening, police said. None of the victims are currently enrolled as VSU students.

The shooting comes as the university prepares for the school year. Multiple opening and orientation events are scheduled for this week, and classes are set to begin Monday, according to a school calendar.

Event ended hours before shooting

Gwen Williams Dandridge, VSU assistant vice president of communications, said the event ended “several hours” before the shooting and that the gathering in the lot was not a campus event. Virginia Hall is about a five-minute walk from where the shooting occurred.

Dandridge said it was unfortunate that the incident happened as part of the new students’ first week experience.

“We work really hard to make this welcome week and their entire four years here at Virginia State University memorable years for them,” Dandridge said. “We’re certainly hopeful that this does not impact anything as it relates to how they feel about being Trojans.”

Shortly after the shooting, an alert was sent out to all faculty, staff and students via their VSU emails. People with VSU emails are signed up for the alerts automatically, but they can also sign up to receive text alerts.

Students are also allowed to add extra phone numbers and emails to the alert list, such as those belonging to their parents.

Dandridge credited police with responding quickly to the incident, although it is unclear which department made the arrests.

VSU Police, Chesterfield County Police and Virginia State Police are continuing to work together on the investigation.

With the lockdown lifted around 4:30 a.m., Dandridge said there were no additional security measures on campus.

“We will continue to re-evaluate if there’s anything that we can do differently, but we are very confident that Virginia State University is a safe place,” Dandridge said.

Dandridge said the security gate to enter campus is manned 24 hours a day, but there are open pedestrian entrances that people can walk through. She added that there are always multiple VSU officers patrolling campus.

“The safety and security of our Trojan family is one of our top priorities,” Dandridge said. “We continuously look for ways to improve the security of our campus, and that is certainly a conversation that we expect to have.”

Students react to shooting

VSU students told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that after the welcome week social a large crowd gathered in the lot where the shooting occurred.

Amiyah Ponton, a first-year student at VSU, was not present when shots were fired, but said she received an alert from the university.

“I was already safe in my dorm, thank God,” Ponton said. “There was already a big crowd where it occurred at, and I already knew ‘something’s going down.’”

Ponton said the university should place more of a priority on keeping weapons away from campus.

“It’s just very unfortunate,” Ponton said. “Just the fact that people were still able to have those types of weapons and stuff on campus despite the fact that they’re saying no weapons.”

Karen Jones, 55, is a commuter student studying economics with the hope of earning a government job after she graduates.

She said she didn’t know of the shooting until she passed caution tape on Boisseau Street.

“If you hadn’t asked me, I wouldn’t have known.”

Jaylen Culley and his twin brother said the two were in their dorm room when they were notified of the shooting.

Culley said welcome week has seen parties spill out onto the public parking lot where the shooting occurred.

“There was a welcome week party that was cancelled, and then they came out to the courts, that’s been happening every night,” said Culley. “It’s just crazy that someone would do something like this.”

Kaniya James, a freshman studying biology who hopes to become a nurse, said the shooting made her nervous.

As she walked by, she said she wished there were more police on campus, and felt uncomfortable not knowing if the danger had passed.

“It’s just weird that you don’t know who’s who, who’s a suspect, who’s a shooter,” said James.

Youngkin: Shooting ‘incredibly concerning’

“The shooting this morning is incredibly concerning,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin told reporters at the General Assembly Building on Wednesday morning after giving legislators an update on state revenues.

Youngkin said it is an active investigation, so exactly what transpired is yet to be determined.

“I really believe our responsibility right now is to make sure they get the care and support they need and, second of all, that we keep them in our thoughts and prayers, and then, finally, that we allow law enforcement to do its job.”

Wednesday’s shooting marked the third such event on VSU campus in as many years.

Anyone with information about Wednesday’s shooting is asked to call Chesterfield police at (804) 748-1251 or contact Crime Solvers at (804) 748-0660 or through the P3 app.