Crime expert raises questions after VSU shooting: Who was hiding suspect and where is the weapon?

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — A retired Chesterfield Police captain is raising pointed questions about the VSU campus shooting — including who may have been helping the suspect hide and whether the weapon used in the shooting has been recovered.

Retired Chesterfield Police Capt. Steve Neal told Crime Insider Jon Burkett that the 14 hours between the shooting and the arrest of suspect Camron Harris immediately stood out to him.

"We're talking about 14 hours later finding the suspect in a dorm room. That raises a lot of questions for me. It's very unlikely that he left campus and came back, so that suggests that he's been there for the entire 14 hours," Neal said. "That makes me wonder who else might be involved in this case. Was there somebody hiding him inside that particular dorm room? And I want to know where's the weapon? Has the weapon been recovered in this case?"

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Neal also pointed to the makeup of the victims as a significant concern. Of the five people shot, four were not VSU students — yet they were on campus late at night.

"They're on campus late at night, and that's a significant issue," Neal said. "They need to figure out a way to restrict access or to have a better idea of who's on this campus late at night."

Neal, who patrolled the area around VSU during his time with Chesterfield Police, said the campus has improved its facilities over the years but needs to do more on the security front.

"VSU has done a good job improving their campus, but I'm not quite as confident about saying that when it comes to security on campus," Neal said. "You can do a quick search and find out that there are a number of incidents that happen year after year: shootings, stabbings, killings — including just a couple years ago, a Virginia State University police officer was shot and left permanently disabled... They need to do a better job understanding who's on campus and why they're there."

Chesterfield County

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Congressman Bobby Scott, who Burkett caught up with at a Filipino American celebration in Newport News, said the solution to gun violence starts well before a shooting occurs.

"Just the fact that it's on campus doesn't make it any different from any other crime. There've been shootings and multiple shootings in the Richmond area, which have been very disturbing," Scott said. "It doesn't start with police — it starts with getting young people on the right track and keeping them on the right track. And if you're going to wait until the shootings occur, that's obviously too late."

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