A high school student has been killed and another four people have been injured in a shooting at a hookah bar near the Virginia Tech campus, according to authorities.
The shooting unfolded just before midnight on Friday night at the Melody Hookah Lounge on Main Street in downtown Blacksburg, plunging the campus into an hours-long lockdown.
Blacksburg Police said officers were called to reports of shots fired at the bar at 11:53pm and found five people suffering gunshot wounds.
Of the five shooting victims, one person died while the four others were rushed to hospital. The extent of their injuries is unclear.
The identities, genders and ages of the five shooting victims have not been revealed.
However, Roanoke City Public Schools said on Saturday that the person killed was a student at Patrick Henry High School.
The school district announced the death of “a member of our Patrick Henry High School family” in a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon.
“We are saddened by the death of a member of our Patrick Henry High School family. Our thoughts are with all those who are grieving,” the statement read.
“We understand many in our community may have feelings of grief, loss, anger, or fear and encourage you to reach out for support.”
School counsellors will be available on Monday at both Patrick Henry and William Fleming High Schools for any students and staff who need support.
“We are here to support our RCPS family and hope the community will join us in respecting the privacy of the family as they grieve,” the district said.
Meanwhile, Virginia Tech officials confirmed that one of the survivors is a male student at the college.
Vice President for Student Affairs Frank Shushok Jr. said in a statement on Saturday afternoon that the school had been in contact with the student’s family and were told he is “out of surgery, recovering, and seems to be doing well”.
“We continue to respect the privacy of the student, and we are grateful for the outpouring of care and support directed to him,” he said.
President Tim Sands said that the college sent “condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased and we extend our support to those who were injured”.
He urged students and faculty to “care for yourself and seek assistance if you need it”, pointing to counselling services on offer.
Police described the investigation as “a complex, ongoing case that has shifted to a homicide investigation”.
No suspects have been named and no further details have been released about the events that led up to the shooting.
The Independent has reached out to Blacksburg Police for more information.
Melody Hookah Lounge posted a statement on social media saying they are “deeply hurt and devastated of what happened Friday night, our condolences go to the families and friends of everyone who were affected”.
The bar vowed to “add more precautions and regulations in place for this types of situations”.
The incident took place around half a mile from the scene of the 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech that left 32 people dead.
On 16 April 2007, undergrad student Seung-Hui Cho carried out two separate attacks on the campus - first at the West Ambler Johnston Hall dormitory and then in the Norris Hall classroom building.
In total, 32 people were killed and 17 wounded, before the gunman turned the gun on himself.
At the time, it was the deadliest mass shooting in US history.
Friday’s shooting also comes just three days after a gunman shot and killed two campus police officers at Bridgewater College in Virginia on Tuesday afternoon.
Former student Alexander Wyatt Campbell was arrested and charged with murder.
Anyone with information about the shooting in Blacksburg is urged to contact the Blacksburg Police Department at (540) 443-1400 or call the anonymous tip line at (540) 961-1819 or by emailing ciu@blacksburg.gov
