Radford University locked down after fatal shooting
By Jorge Valencia and Tonia Moxley | The Roanoke Times
RADFORD — Police in Radford scoured the city Thursday night for a man they believe shot and killed a person. The victim was not identified.
Officers were searching the area near Jefferson and Calhoun streets, just off the Radford University campus, where the shooting was reported about 9 p.m., said Radford Police Chief Don Goodman.
Meanwhile, university officials locked down the campus while students, staff and city residents were asked to "please seek shelter."
The suspect was described as a young black male who is tall and slim, may have a goatee and was wearing no shirt and a camouflage jacket, Goodman said.
A preliminary investigation indicated the shooting was the result of an altercation in the 500 block of Calhoun Street, a residential area where primarily university students live.
The suspect, who was last seen going west on foot on Jefferson Street, is considered armed and dangerous.
The victim, who was shot in the chest, was not identified late Thursday because authorities had not notified family, Goodman said. It was unclear whether the victim was affiliated with the university.
Ryan Timmons, a student and a resident on Calhoun Street, said he and friends heard four or five gunshots, heard a woman screaming, and later saw a black man who had apparently been shot lying near the intersection of Jefferson and Calhoun streets.
"I thought it was fireworks at first," he said.
Students and staff were notified via e-mail, text and voice messages, said university spokesman Michael Hemphill.
"Other than finding the guy, right now all we can do is keep people updated," he said.
Several other students who were interviewed by telephone said they were monitoring their cellphones for updates on when they could return to their dorms.
Anyone who sees someone matching the description of the suspect is asked to call 911.
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