OT: 22 dead in Va. Tech shooting rampage

[T-Bone]

22 dead in Va. Tech shooting rampage


BLACKSBURG, Va. - 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 also was killed.

“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.

Some but not all the dead were students. One student was killed in a dorm and the others were killed in the classroom, said Virginia Tech Police Chief W.R. Flinchum.

The name of the gunman was not released. It was not known if he was a student.

NBC's Pete Williams said two law enforcement officials told him the gunman killed himself. They also said the gunman used two 9-mm handguns during the rampage, Williams reported. He said the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was trying to track the weapons.


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.

After Monday’s shootings at Virginia Tech, all entrances to the campus were closed.

The university set up a meeting place for families to reunite with their children at the Inn at Virginia Tech. It also made counselors available and planned a convocation for Tuesday at the Cassell Coliseum basketball arena.

After the shootings, students were told to stay inside away from the windows.

“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.”

Police said there had been bomb threats on campus over the past two weeks but they had not determined a link to the shootings.

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.

[Lady Luck]

I was watching this when I went home for lunch. The fatality count is now up to 32.

http://www.foxnews.com/

[CatEyes]

I was watching this when I went home for lunch. The fatality count is now up to 32.

http://www.foxnews.com/

Very sad indeed.

Cateyes

[ohsherrie]

I've been watching this all day. The local news keeps doing updates. They're saying now possibly as many 29 dead and 21 hospitalized.

[conversationpc]

Unbelievable.

[*Laura]

Just saw this on the evening news here.Unbelievable.
I can't even imagine what the families of those who were killed are going through...

I hope that bastard rots in Hell.

[Barb]

This is insane! Any word on the motive or the ID of the shoote?

[ohsherrie]

This is insane! Any word on the motive or the ID of the shoote?

No, all I've heard in that regard is that he went in AJ Hall yelling for his girlfriend and shot two people, then he went to Norris Hall and shot the rest.

[Barb]

This is insane! Any word on the motive or the ID of the shoote?

No, all I've heard in that regard is that he went in AJ Hall yelling for his girlfriend and shot two people, then he went to Norris Hall and shot the rest.

Geezus.

[jrnychick]

This is so terribly sad. I don't know what else to say. I pray for the families of those left behind.

[*Laura]

This is insane! Any word on the motive or the ID of the shoote?

No, all I've heard in that regard is that he went in AJ Hall yelling for his girlfriend and shot two people, then he went to Norris Hall and shot the rest.

Geezus.

So they suppose he might've butchered innocent people because of some "girlfriend" problems?

I don't understand why these crazy assholes don't just put a gun to their own heads before getting out the door.

[belar]

Ugh. Just horrible.

[ohsherrie]

That stuff about the girlfriend hasn't been verified yet. I came from something one of the students said to one of the local reporters.

Now some reports are saying 31 dead.

[Jenna]

[Sassie]

This is so sad.

[Greg]

31 people dead including the shooter and there is 29 other people being treated for various injuries that are related to the shootings. The shooter was an Asian guy in his twenties. I live about an hour and a half from Virginia tech. This is almost like something happening in my own backyard. I have a cousin who is a professor up there, but I haven't heard if my uncle has been able to get in touch with him or not.

[chf34jmac]

Kind of makes the stupid blow ups here look really insignificant in the grand scheme of things don't it?

My thoughts go out to everyone involved including the troubled dude firing the weapon. And before I get crucified for that, nobody here knows what kind of problems either mental or physical this guy had. Only HE could have answered those questions.

[Lady Luck]

There's a video posted on CNN.com that was taken with a cell phone, and you can hear gun shots in the background. Freakin' scary.

[Greg]

Kind of makes the stupid blow ups here look really insignificant in the grand scheme of things don't it?

My thoughts go out to everyone involved including the troubled dude firing the weapon. And before I get crucified for that, nobody here knows what kind of problems either mental or physical this guy had. Only HE could have answered those questions.

That's why I wished they could've taken him alive so as to find out the motive.

[NealIsGod]

Kind of makes the stupid blow ups here look really insignificant in the grand scheme of things don't it?

My thoughts go out to everyone involved including the troubled dude firing the weapon. And before I get crucified for that, nobody here knows what kind of problems either mental or physical this guy had. Only HE could have answered those questions.

That's why I wished they could've taken him alive so as to find out the motive.

What other motive could there be but insanity?

[SteveForever]

Do people have no fear anymore of consequences!? What in the world.

[ohsherrie]

31 people dead including the shooter and there is 29 other people being treated for various injuries that are related to the shootings. The shooter was an Asian guy in his twenties. I live about an hour and a half from Virginia tech. This is almost like something happening in my own backyard. I have a cousin who is a professor up there, but I haven't heard if my uncle has been able to get in touch with him or not.

I know exactly how you feel Greggie. I'm an hour and a half away myself and I don't know anyone who is currently there, but have known so many over the years that it seems like a place that's really familiar to me. I hope your cousin is OK.

I just heard the description of the guy.

[styxman]

Kind of makes the stupid blow ups here look really insignificant in the grand scheme of things don't it?

My thoughts go out to everyone involved including the troubled dude firing the weapon. And before I get crucified for that, nobody here knows what kind of problems either mental or physical this guy had. Only HE could have answered those questions.

Sensitive issue but I also echo what you say....we're all capable of snapping some just further than others. The mind is a most dangerous weapon.....sad day

[Greg]

Kind of makes the stupid blow ups here look really insignificant in the grand scheme of things don't it?

My thoughts go out to everyone involved including the troubled dude firing the weapon. And before I get crucified for that, nobody here knows what kind of problems either mental or physical this guy had. Only HE could have answered those questions.

That's why I wished they could've taken him alive so as to find out the motive.

What other motive could there be but insanity?

A local news station was talking with a Tech student and she said that there were rumors that the guy had a fight with a girlfriend and snapped, but of course that is pure rumor at this point.

[Just Mindy]

Very sad.

[****]

32 dead 29 injured .. God this is horrible.

[Ms_M]

It was quite surreal checking the newswire and every time the number of victims went up. I was a psych major in college, so that side of my brain is very curious as to what would cause someone to do something like this. There have been so-called rampage killings before, but this is mind boggling.

[ohsherrie]

I'm listening to statements from some of the students who witnessed this tragedy today. They'll never be the same.

It just struck me while listening to them and reading through this international messageboard that you don't hear about this sort of thing happening in other developed countries. Is it that it doesn't happen or is it that we just don't hear about it? I think in this day and time if there were kids killing kids in the rest of the world we would surely know about it.

[Blueskies]

Just heard about this......there are no words, really, to describe..... My heart goes out to all who are affected by this tragic event. Bless the young souls that left us today. May their spirits live on and their aspirations fulfilled in the hearts and minds of those students left behind in what they will come to achieve in their memory. God speed on their journey forward.

[jrnychick]

I just saw a girl interviewed on CNN. She was in one of the classrooms where the shooting took place. She said that she played dead the second time the murderer came in the room and opened fire. After that, she and the other 3 students who were not injured blocked the door so the guy couldn't get back in.