Police are searching for multiple suspects after a shooting at Virginia State University left five people wounded early Saturday.

The shooting happened near the university’s Quad Annexes, and both campus police and Chesterfield County police are actively investigating. County police said officers found five people suffering from gunshot wounds outside campus dormitories when they arrived.

The five victims were taken to hospitals, where one is in critical condition, county police said. The other victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The university said in a statement that the shooting involves “multiple suspects” and urged people to avoid the immediate area.

“VSU Police and the Chesterfield County Police Department are actively investigating,” the university statement said. “The campus community should continue to avoid the area and follow all law enforcement instructions.”

There is a large law enforcement presence on campus Saturday morning as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office assist police.

Virginia State Police deferred questions to local police, who are leading the investigation. County police and campus officials said there would be more information later in the day.

Virginia State University is a historically Black university located in Ettrick, Virginia, about 24 miles south of the state capital of Richmond. The public university has about 5,700 students and was the first fully state-supported four-year college for Black Americans. Most of its students are undergraduates.

The shootings happened just before the start of the academic year at Virginia State.

Residence halls opened for students a week ago, and classes are set to begin on Monday, according to the university’s website.

Many students had just completed the university’s “New Trojans Experience” for incoming students.