Campus Alert Archive
VSU

Before Classes Even Start: Four Shot During Virginia State's Welcome Week as Freshmen Arrive on Campus

VAshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

In the early morning hours of August 14, 2024, four people were shot near Daniel Gymnasium on the Virginia State University campus during Welcome Week activities as freshmen and student leaders were moving onto campus. Two adult males and two adult females sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Two suspects were taken into custody at the scene and charged with brandishing firearms. None of the victims or suspects were enrolled for the fall semester.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
4
Institution
Virginia State University
Hbcu · VA
~4,000 studentsVSU Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction180 chars
VSU ALERT: Shots fired reported near Daniel Gymnasium. All individuals should shelter in place immediately. Secure your surroundings and await further instructions from VSU Police.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news coverage; RAVE alerts were sent via email to students and employees at approximately 12:30 AM EDT on August 14, 2024
The shooting occurred in a large crowd near Daniel Gymnasium on Boisseau Street during Welcome Week
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction194 chars
VSU UPDATE: The campus lockdown has been lifted. Two suspects are in custody. Four individuals were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. There is no ongoing threat.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from the official VSU statement and news coverage; suspects were detained at the scene
VSU clarified that none of the injured victims or suspects were enrolled for the Fall 2024 semester
Context

Background

In the early morning hours of August 14, 2024, a shooting occurred on the Virginia State University campus during Welcome Week, leaving two men and two women with non-life-threatening injuries. The shooting took place near Daniel Gymnasium on Boisseau Street in a large crowd. Freshmen and student leaders were already on campus for move-in activities, with classes scheduled to begin the following week. Two suspects, Xavier J. Gordon, 21, and Clyde D. White Jr., 21, were taken into custody at the scene and charged with brandishing firearms, though neither had been directly charged with the shooting at the time of initial reporting. VSU officials emphasized that none of the victims or suspects were enrolled students for the Fall 2024 semester. A welcome event had occurred earlier in the evening, but it ended a couple of hours before the shooting. The campus was placed on a temporary lockdown until the area was secured. This was the first of two shooting incidents at VSU during the fall 2024 semester.
Analysis

Key Findings

The shooting occurred before the academic semester even began, during Welcome Week move-in activities
None of the four victims or two suspects were enrolled VSU students, highlighting the challenge of non-affiliate violence on open HBCU campuses
VSU experienced a second shooting incident on October 15, 2024, just two months later
Outcome
Xavier J. Gordon, 21, and Clyde D. White Jr., 21, were taken into custody and charged with brandishing firearms. All four victims were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. The campus lockdown was lifted after the area was secured.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    University Statement Following On-Campus Shooting On August 14 (VSU Official)
    vsu.edu
  2. News
    Virginia State University was placed on temporary lockdown following shooting (WRIC)
    wric.com
  3. News
    Big Takeaways: Virginia State officials address Welcome Week shooting (WTVR)
    wtvr.com
  4. News
    Shots fired at Virginia State University, campus placed on lockdown (Fox 5 DC)
    fox5dc.com
Tags
shootinghbcuvirginiawelcome-weeknon-student-victimscampus-lockdownmultiple-victims
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion