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Mass Shooting Erupts at Virginia State University Hours After Freshmen Orientation Events

HeadlineAug 17, 2026

In northern Michigan, a gunman killed five people on Friday, prompting a manhunt that ended when the shooter was found dead alongside one of his victims. Separately, police in Petersburg, Virginia, arrested a 19-year-old suspect on Saturday following an overnight shooting at Virginia State University that left five people injured — one of them critically — just hours after officials welcomed freshmen to campus. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the U.S. has seen at least 305 mass shootings since the start of the year.

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