At Least 1 Dead In Virginia Tech Campus Shooting

[TXCharlie]

http://www.nbc5i.com/news/12158092/detail.html

UPDATE:
At Least 31 Dead In Va. Tech Shootings
Shooter Deceased, School President Says

UPDATED: 1:55 pm CDT April 16, 2007


BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Government officials told The Associated Press the death toll on the Virginia Tech campus has risen to 31.

The gunman is also dead, but it's unclear whether he shot himself or was killed by police.



The name of the gunman was not immediately released, and investigators offered no motive for the attack. It was not immediately known if the gunman was a student.

Some of the dead were students. Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum said one student was killed in the first shooting -- at a dormitory -- and the others were killed in an academic building.

University officials said the shootings happened at opposite ends of the campus, beginning at about 7:15 a.m. at West Ambler Johnston Hall, a co-ed dorm that houses 895 people. The second shooting was about two hours later at Norris Hall, an engineering building.

Charles Steger, the school's president, said that the shooter in Norris Hall was deceased.

Steger described today's events as an incident of "tragic proportions,"

"The university is shocked and horrified that this would befall us," Steger said.

The shootings spread panic and confusion on campus, with witnesses reporting students jumping out the windows of a classroom building to escape the gunfire. SWAT team members with helmets, flak jackets and assault rifles swarmed over the campus. Students and faculty members carried out some of the wounded themselves, without waiting for ambulances to arrive.

Aimee Kanode, a freshman from Martinsville, Va., told The Associated Press that the shooting happened on the fourth floor of the dorm, one floor above her room. Kanode said students are "locked in our dorms surfing the Internet trying to figure out what's going on."

According to the school's Web site, the school has closed Monday and classes will be canceled Tuesday, April 17. The university will remain open for administrative operations.

All students, faculty, and staff are required to stay where they are until police execute a planned evacuation. A phased closing will be in effect today; further information will be forthcoming as soon as police secure the campus.

Tuesday, there will be a university convocation/ceremony at 2 p.m. at Cassell Coliseum. The Inn at Virginia Tech has been designated as the site for parents to gather and obtain information.

Deadly Shootings

Up until Monday, the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history took place in 1966 at the University of Texas, where Charles Whitman climbed to the 28th-floor observation deck of a clock tower and opened fire. He killed 16 people, including his wife and mother the night before, before he was gunned down by police.

In the Columbine High School bloodbath near Littleton, Colo., in 1999, two teenagers killed 12 fellow students and a teacher before taking their own lives.

It was second time in less than a year that the campus was closed because of a shooting. In August 2006, the opening day of classes was canceled and the campus closed when an escaped jail inmate allegedly killed a hospital guard off campus and fled to the Tech area. A sheriff's deputy involved in the manhunt was killed on a trail just off campus. The accused gunman, William Morva, faces capital murder charges.

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At Least 1 Dead In VT Campus Shooting

POSTED: 9:18 am CDT April 16, 2007
UPDATED: 10:17 am CDT April 16, 2007

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BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Officials have told The Associated Press a gunman suspected in one killing and seven to eight additional casualties at Virginia Tech has been arrested.



According to the school's Web site, in addition to an earlier shooting today in West Ambler Johnston, there has been a multiple shooting with multiple victims in Norris Hall.

Police and EMS are on the scene.


Police have one shooter in custody and as part of routine police procedure, they continue to search for a second shooter.

All people in university buildings are required to stay inside until further notice.

All entrances to campus are closed.

Virginia Tech officials canceled classes for the day and are warning the university community on the school's Web site that there is a "gunman on the loose" and that students, faculty and staff should stay inside and stay away from windows.

A state government official with knowledge of the incident told The Associated Press that at least one person was killed by the shooter and another was wounded.

West Ambler Johnston Hall is one of the largest dorms on campus. It houses nearly 900 students.

Refresh this page for updates on this story.

[10-42Adam]

I just heard about this on the news...sounds like another Columbine story. Apparently there were two shooters in two seperate areas...we'll see what happens and I hope for the best...

[Virginian]

20 or more dead. Holy shit.

[gozling]

watchin on the news now...ggeesh...
22 dead so far
wtf?
geesh

[rob84]

One of the shooters is dead.

[ohionarc]

Gunman kills 21 on Virginia Tech campus By SUE LINDSEY, Associated Press Writer
12 minutes ago



A gunman opened fire in a dorm and classroom at Virginia Tech on Monday, killing 21 people in the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. The gunman was killed but it was unclear if he was shot by police or took his own life.

"Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions," said Virginia Tech president Charles Steger. "The university is shocked and indeed horrified."

The university reported shootings at opposite sides of the 2,600-acre campus, beginning at about 7:15 a.m. at West Ambler Johnston, a co-ed residence hall that houses 895 people, and continuing about two hours later at Norris Hall, an engineering building.

The name of the gunman was not released.

Up until Monday, the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history took place in 1966 at the University of Texas, where Charles Whitman climbed to the 28th-floor observation deck of a clock tower and opened fire. He killed 16 people before he was gunned down by police. In the Columbine High bloodbath near Littleton, Colo., in 1999, two teenagers killed 12 fellow students and a teacher before taking their own lives.

On Monday, one student was killed in a dorm and the others were killed in the classroom, Virginia Tech Police Chief W.R. Flinchum.

After the shootings, all entrances to the campus were closed and classes canceled through Tuesday.

"There's just a lot of commotion. It's hard to tell exactly what's going on," said Jason Anthony Smith, 19, who lives in the dorm where shooting took place.

Aimee Kanode, a freshman from Martinsville, said the shooting happened on the 4th floor of West Ambler Johnston dormitory, one floor above her room. Kanode's resident assistant knocked on her door about 8 a.m. to notify students to stay put.

"They had us under lockdown," Kanode said. "They temporarily lifted the lockdown, the gunman shot again."

"We're all locked in our dorms surfing the Internet trying to figure out what's going on," Kanode said.

Madison Van Duyne, a student who was interviewed by telephone on CNN, said, "We are all in lockdown. Most of the students are sitting on the floors away from the windows just trying to be as safe as possible."

It was second time in less than a year that the campus was closed because of a shooting.

In August 2006, the opening day of classes was canceled and the campus closed when an escaped jail inmate allegedly killed a hospital guard off campus and fled to the Tech area. A sheriff's deputy involved in the manhunt was killed on a trail just off campus.

The accused gunman, William Morva, faces capital murder charges.


Unreal....

[MDPD2BE]

This is just unbelievable...

[Ducky]

Sincerest prayers going out for the deceased and their families.

[Buttercup]

It keeps getting worse, I just heard on the news that 32 are dead.

[Willowdared]

They just declared this the worst shooting in US History...

[TXCharlie]

I guess the students shoulda been armed... Or at least Campus Police with AR-15's, which I'd be willing to bet they didn't have.

People have been predicting that terrorists could easily do this at Elementary schools, etc, ever since the Russian school massacre back around 2004 or whenever when nearly 300 were killed - It should not come as a surprise to anyone, least of all the police officials.

[Virginian]

Prepare for the all-out assault on guns to come.

Laws of course would prevent this, right? Even though the law against guns on school property was violated.

[Ducky]

Heard 31 dead, 17 more being treated, and 8 of those are in critical condition.

[conalabu]

If this turns out to be terrorist supported, this is going to get real nasty. This is a bad thing, in any case, for multiple reasons, but from a terror point of view, you can't get a much harsher message.

[bird1]

Prepare for the all-out assault on guns to come.

the press is going to have a field day

[TXCharlie]

Yep... Prepare for another Assault Rifle ban... I bet they're not gonna be able to keep them in stock at the gun stores.

[Twan007]

ya know the funny thing... news release said that he was carrying 2 hand guns...

no assault rifle ban needed... but you think that's gonna stop it? nopers =/

[Piggybank Cop]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Virginian
Prepare for the all-out assault on guns to come.

the press is going to have a field day

Good thing none of the law-abiding folks had guns the total could have been +1.

[TXPO710]

Anybody watching Fox hear that moronic idiot say it couldn't have been revolvers because we all know a gock 17 or 19 can fire 18 rounds in under 6 seconds? Where do they find these idiots???

[Piggybank Cop]

"Some students bitterly questioned why the gunman was able to strike a second time, two hours after the bloodshed began."

Because the sheep were not armed - they were sheep.