Va. Tech Shootings (NEWS)

[Passionfruition]

I'm so heartbroken over this news. My husband called a close friend who goes to Va.Tech, and he is safe, though he was 50 feet from the 2nd shooting and had to hit the ground in fear.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18134671/

BREAKING NEWS
Updated: 1 minute ago

BLACKSBURG, Va. - At least 22 people were killed Monday in a shooting rampage on the Virginia Tech campus, police said. They said the gunman was among the dead.

In addition to those killed, officials said at least 28 people were wounded.

Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum said the gunman was dead, but that he didn't know how he died.

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

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.

Virginia Tech reported shootings at opposite sides of the 2,600-acre campus, beginning at about 7:15 a.m. local time 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.

At least one student was killed in the dorm and others were killed in the classroom, Flinchum said.

After the shootings, all entrances to the campus were closed.

"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.

Aimee Kanode, a freshman from Martinsville, said the shooting happened on the fourth floor of the dorm, 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, "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.

This breaking story will be updated.

photo: http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070416/070416_vatech_hlarge_10a.h2.jpg

[highlans]

Have just heard about it on our main news my heart goes out to there family's.

[Taurus Babe]

THis is so tragic. I am in disbelief at all these school shootings. What is this world coming to? It is so scary. Those students and families are in my thoughts.

[Janet]

I saw this on the news. What would make someone do something like this? It's just so hard to believe.

[Passionfruition]

I have so much "around the house" stuff as well as errands to to today.....but I can't seem to turn the TV off....I keep watching MSNBC and CNN. This is SO sad. Just horrible.

The latest updates say that the shooter was 18-19 year old asian-american male carrying two handguns, one being a 9mm. He wore a vest with several clips. It was definitely premeditated.

They've identified this incident as the worst shooting ever to occur on an American college campus, and maybe the worst modern mass shooting in America, period.

[Passionfruition]

:warning: The death toll has now risen to 31. The shooter shot students while they were in class...and when he came in, he chained the doors so people couldn't leave. :thumbdwn:

[Tink]

Like Janet said, I really wonder what happened to make that young man sick enough to be able to do this!

How tragic for all involved.

[Gutu28]

This scares me so much. I attend a large university (UGA) and I cannot believe this has happened on campus! I am so relieved that I personally do not have anyone that goes to school there, but I can imagine that many others do. Nowhere is safe anymore.. I pray for those affected by this tragedy..

[DianaB]

It is so sad to see things like this happen in our country. I don't understand why this keeps happening. My heart really cries for the families who have lost loved ones.

[AngieDoogles]

One of my husband's good friends goes there and he's really worried about her. Please keep him (and her and everyone at the school and their families...) in your prayers. He doesn't want to call because she probably already has so much going on, but I can see how worried he is.

[Chandra Amaya]

One of my husband's good friends goes there and he's really worried about her. Please keep him (and her and everyone at the school and their families...) in your prayers. He doesn't want to call because she probably already has so much going on, but I can see how worried he is.
I have a really good friend there as well & I was debating on calling for the same reason. My thoughts are with them all.

[Mandy]

Its been on the main news here. Its horrific to think there are people walking around with those ideas, all i can wonder is, what brings anyone to do that.

Keeping those families, friends, and all involved in my thoughts.

[Gina]

To think about what a sick world we live in, My heart goes out to those students and their families. Traci, Angie I will say a prayer for your friends that they are fine.
Let us know when you hear from them.

[AngieDoogles]

To think about what a sick world we live in, My heart goes out to those students and their families. Traci, Angie I will say a prayer for your friends that they are fine.
Let us know when you hear from them.

Thanks Gina. My husband heard from his friend and she is at home and safe. Thank goodness! She was on campus, but not the part where the shooting took place. Please keep the whole school in your thoughts and prayers because I can only imagine how those students, faculty, parents, and friends must feel right now. Traci, I hope you hear from your friend soon.

[Marilyn]

It's hard to know what to say or think. This is so horrible and so many young people. I've been near tears and in tears most of the day. Just cannot imagine....

[Forgivenmom5]

Just read a post from someone on maltese talk who just graduated form VA Tech last year. Two of her friends were shot, one in the chest and one in the leg. They are OK . The doctor's said the one shot in the chest was very lucky. She also has a friend that no one has been able to find. It's really sad.

[AngieDoogles]

I just found out that a friend I worked with at camp lost her uncle in the shooting. He had three small children. I just don't understand how someone could do this!? :cry:

[Passionfruition]

This photo is of me and my husband Eli, with our two good friends who are both current students at Virginia Tech, Josh and Colleen. (Photo taken very recently -March 18th, 2007- when they came to visit us.) We've known Josh for years...he and my husband used to work at Applebee's together in Johnson City.

Josh is a senior engineering major...and he was on his way to class in Norris Hall when the shootings happened. He was 50 feet from the building when the shootings started and luckily, was instructed to turn and get away as fast as possible. He lives off campus, so he and Colleen met up at his apartment and they're both safe. (Colleen is an Art History major.)

We talked to Josh this morning but haven't heard from him since. Considering Norris Hall is an engineering building, I don't doubt that he knew several students that were shot/killed today. He said he'd keep us posted.

[AngieDoogles]

I just found out that a friend I worked with at camp lost her uncle in the shooting. He had three small children. I just don't understand how someone could do this!? :cry:

By the way, his name is Kevin if you'd like to pray for his family and my friend's name is Allison (his niece). She's pretty devastated... :(

[Mandy]

By the way, his name is Kevin if you'd like to pray for his family and my friend's name is Allison (his niece). She's pretty devastated... :(

My heart goes out to those people, will keep them in my thoughts.

Its on the news here now, they say, the motive behind the shooting is unknown. Its sad, very very sad, i have no words for this!

[Chandra Amaya]

I just talked to my friend. All three of his kids are fine. His youngest son had left VA Tech this past semester to take a break from college. His youngest daughter also lives 200 yards from the campus. He was at her house when they heard shots. He told her to get her new baby inside. After the town's lockdown was removed, he picked up his oldest son. I am so glad they are all ok. My heart goes out to the families & friends that have lost someone & I hope their healing can begin soon.

[Janet]

Even though all those people, friends, family, faculty are in my prayers.....I find I'm not wanting to hear anymore about it. Is that awful? It seems there is nothing we can do to stop it and news just keeps going over and over the same thing. I just want it to go away...to never have happened. How can these things happen...

[Chandra Amaya]

Even though all those people, friends, family, faculty are in my prayers.....I find I'm not wanting to hear anymore about it. Is that awful? It seems there is nothing we can do to stop it and news just keeps going over and over the same thing. I just want it to go away...to never have happened. How can these things happen...
I don't think that's awful Janet. I never watch the news unless i'm looking to see if my children's school is closed. I hate seeing things like this. Life is tragic enough without seeing mass tragedies everyday.

[AngieDoogles]

Even though all those people, friends, family, faculty are in my prayers.....I find I'm not wanting to hear anymore about it. Is that awful? It seems there is nothing we can do to stop it and news just keeps going over and over the same thing. I just want it to go away...to never have happened. How can these things happen...

Janet, I have not even watched any news about it so I understand. I know if I did it would just make me way too upset. I've read a little here and there on the internet and made sure that anyone we know there is safe and that's it. I think the media goes way to far with these things.

This is what my friend's boyfriend said about it. (The one who lost her uncle)

She has already told me that she wished the news would shut up about it. They're not getting any relief or time to grieve b/c everywhere they turn there's something else about it either on tv, the radio, the paper, the internet. There is no relief.

[Tink]

The tapes the shooter sent are absolutely chilling. That poor guy had a very sick mind. Obviously this wswn't his first brush with weird behavior, but that just makes it scarier I think. HOW do you predict and prevent something like this?

I wouldn't want to have had to be the ones at NBC who got the pakcage and had to decide what to do with it.