Madeleine Biondi, Staff Writer
VCU has experienced a spike in gun-related alerts this semester, resulting in students seeking answers from Richmond’s gun violence prevention programs, which continue to increase their response.
Since the beginning of October, VCU Alerts have warned of six gun-related incidents on and around campus, including W. Grace St., Floyd Avenue and Monroe Park.
Despite the increase in weapon-related alerts from VCU, murder rates in Richmond are down 24% and non-fatal shootings are down 15% compared to 2025, according to the RPD quarterly crime briefing.
However, accidental shootings are at an all time high this year, totaling 33 in comparison to last year’s 24, according to the briefing.
Former mayor Levar Stoney declared gun violence a public health crisis and announced efforts toward a public health response by the City of Richmond, VCU and the Richmond City Health District in 2021, according to a press release.
Mayor Danny Avula then created the Office of Gun Violence Prevention in 2026 to address the violence’s root cause by coordinating the city’s agencies and community, according to its website.
One of the office’s first actions was assigning community ambassadors to identify gun-violence hotspots such as Stadium Sports Bar and the Fallout club, according to ABC8.
VCU’s School of Public Health also launched its Center for Gun Violence Research in September, focusing on biopsychosocial risk, intervention, technology and implementation, according to its website. One of the center’s three main functions is to inform local agencies, such as the police, on prevention approaches and programs.
Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said about 80% of the city’s gun violence could be attributed to escalated arguments with low impulse control, according to VPM.
Both VCU and Richmond police departments respond to service calls and gunshot detectors due to their shared jurisdiction, Jake Burns, public relations officer at the VCU Police Department, said.
“VCU Police routinely increases high-visibility patrols following incidents, meaning officers physically positioned in strategic areas, as a deterrent,” Burns said. “Individuals are much less likely to commit crime when a police officer is nearby”
Resolution to gun violence incidents are determined through investigative means, once a suspect has been apprehended or when a false alarm is confirmed, Burns said.
“Due to the size and expertise of Richmond Police’s investigative component, RPD typically leads all investigations involving shootings, and VCU Police provide support,” Burns said.
Joaquin Lao, a third-year forensic science student, said that VCU Alerts are reliable and make him feel safer, but he desires more information on the resolutions to these incidents.
“It’s like, ‘Yeah, there was a shooting the other day, were you there?’ and I’m like ‘Oh, nah,’” Lao said. “It’s never the full discussion.”
First-year biology student Zahra Samedi said she expected some gun-related violence where VCU intersected with the city, but was shocked when the violence reached campus and her peers seemed unfazed.
“The students never talk about the shootings,” Samedi said.“They’re so calm about it!”
Samedi said she avoids well-known crime hotspots in the city, but did not expect to fear on-campus spots. After being near the armed subject incident in Monroe Park on Oct. 13, Samedi said she began avoiding the area, particularly at night.