At least 20 dead in campus shootings at Virginia Tech
Rushlimbo
Posts: 832
CNN) -- The Virginia Tech Police Chief said at least 20 people were killed in twin shootings on the Blacksburg campus Monday morning.
"Some victims were shot in a classroom," Chief Wendell Flinchum said, adding that the gunman was dead.
President Charles Steger called the shootings "a tragedy of monumental proportions."
A hospital spokeswoman told The Associated Press that 17 Virginia Tech students were being treated for gunshot wounds and other injuries. Sharon Honaker at the Carilion New River Valley Medical Center told CNN that four patients had been transported there, one in critical condition.
One person was killed and others were wounded at multiple locations inside a dormitory about 7:15 a.m., Flinchum said. Two hours later, another shooting at Norris Hall, an engineering building, resulted in multiple casualties, the university reported. (Watch police, ambulances hustle to the scene)
The first reported shooting occurred at West Ambler Johnston Hall, a co-ed dormitory that houses 895 students. The dormitory, one of the largest residence halls on the 2,600-acre campus, is located near the drill field and stadium.
Amie Steele, editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, said one of her reporters at the dormitory reported "mass chaos."
The reporter said there were "lots of students running around, going crazy, and the police officers were trying to settle everyone down and keep everything under control," according to Steele.
Kristyn Heiser said she was in class about 9:30 a.m. when she and her classmates saw about six gun-wielding police officers run by a window.
"We were like, 'What's going on?' Because this definitely is a quaint town where stuff doesn't really happen. It's pretty boring here," said Heiser during a phone interview as she sat on her classroom floor.
Student Matt Waldron said he did not hear the gunshots because he was listening to music, but he heard police sirens and saw officers hiding behind trees with their guns drawn.
"They told us to get out of there so we ran across the drill field as quick as we could," he said.
Waldron described the scene on campus as "mayhem." (Watch a student's recording of police responding to loud bangs)
"It was kind of scary," he said. "These two kids I guess had panicked and jumped out of the top story window and the one kid broke his ankle and the other girl was not in good shape just lying on the ground."
Madison Van Duyne said she and her classmates in a media writing class were on "lockdown" in their classrooms. They were huddled in the middle of the classroom, writing stories about the shootings and posting them online.
The university is updating its 26,000 students through e-mails, and an Internet webcam is broadcasting live pictures of the campus.
The shootings came three days after a bomb threat Friday forced the cancellation of classes in three buildings, WDBJ in Roanoke reported. Also, the 100,000-square-foot Torgersen Hall was evacuated April 2 after police received a written bomb threat, The Roanoke Times reported.
After the Monday shootings, students were instructed to stay indoors and away from windows, police at the university said.
"A gunman is loose on campus. Stay in buildings until further notice. Stay away from all windows," read a warning from the university.
"Virginia Tech has canceled all classes. Those on campus are asked to remain where they are, lock their doors and stay away from windows. Persons off campus are asked not to come to campus," a statement on the university Web site said.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/16/vtech.shooting/index.html
"Some victims were shot in a classroom," Chief Wendell Flinchum said, adding that the gunman was dead.
President Charles Steger called the shootings "a tragedy of monumental proportions."
A hospital spokeswoman told The Associated Press that 17 Virginia Tech students were being treated for gunshot wounds and other injuries. Sharon Honaker at the Carilion New River Valley Medical Center told CNN that four patients had been transported there, one in critical condition.
One person was killed and others were wounded at multiple locations inside a dormitory about 7:15 a.m., Flinchum said. Two hours later, another shooting at Norris Hall, an engineering building, resulted in multiple casualties, the university reported. (Watch police, ambulances hustle to the scene)
The first reported shooting occurred at West Ambler Johnston Hall, a co-ed dormitory that houses 895 students. The dormitory, one of the largest residence halls on the 2,600-acre campus, is located near the drill field and stadium.
Amie Steele, editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, said one of her reporters at the dormitory reported "mass chaos."
The reporter said there were "lots of students running around, going crazy, and the police officers were trying to settle everyone down and keep everything under control," according to Steele.
Kristyn Heiser said she was in class about 9:30 a.m. when she and her classmates saw about six gun-wielding police officers run by a window.
"We were like, 'What's going on?' Because this definitely is a quaint town where stuff doesn't really happen. It's pretty boring here," said Heiser during a phone interview as she sat on her classroom floor.
Student Matt Waldron said he did not hear the gunshots because he was listening to music, but he heard police sirens and saw officers hiding behind trees with their guns drawn.
"They told us to get out of there so we ran across the drill field as quick as we could," he said.
Waldron described the scene on campus as "mayhem." (Watch a student's recording of police responding to loud bangs)
"It was kind of scary," he said. "These two kids I guess had panicked and jumped out of the top story window and the one kid broke his ankle and the other girl was not in good shape just lying on the ground."
Madison Van Duyne said she and her classmates in a media writing class were on "lockdown" in their classrooms. They were huddled in the middle of the classroom, writing stories about the shootings and posting them online.
The university is updating its 26,000 students through e-mails, and an Internet webcam is broadcasting live pictures of the campus.
The shootings came three days after a bomb threat Friday forced the cancellation of classes in three buildings, WDBJ in Roanoke reported. Also, the 100,000-square-foot Torgersen Hall was evacuated April 2 after police received a written bomb threat, The Roanoke Times reported.
After the Monday shootings, students were instructed to stay indoors and away from windows, police at the university said.
"A gunman is loose on campus. Stay in buildings until further notice. Stay away from all windows," read a warning from the university.
"Virginia Tech has canceled all classes. Those on campus are asked to remain where they are, lock their doors and stay away from windows. Persons off campus are asked not to come to campus," a statement on the university Web site said.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/16/vtech.shooting/index.html
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
~Ron Burgundy
The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
i'm not really sure what iraq or afghanistan has to do with this. it's as relevant as bringing up nationalized healthcare.
anyway, the real story behind this hopefully will come out soon.
Useless post.
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
I understand what he's getting at. Twenty people got shot over here. But how many have died in iraq and afghanistan today. why is this tragic but the other isnt.
Anyway, 20 dead? I'm not sure but thats the highest number of dead on a campus shooting isnt it?
Who said the other isnt tragic? Why cant this story be discussed in its own context and not compared to Iraq?
it's got to be near the top of the list. Kent state was "only" 4. They (VT) had an incident earlier this year with a gunman on the loose, but I don't think anyone was shot during that one.
I think the Univ of Texas sniper toll in 1966 was 17. I may be off on that.
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
Its moving train law. You cannot have a topic with out some mention of Iraq or Afganistan.
I think it is in the genevia convention also. Look it up.
how is it irrelevant? people are dying all over the place b/c of guns and stupid people.
its in a headline as 'tragedy in blacksburg', yet the one below it says '30 die in iraq from roadside bomb'. no tragedy, just everyday life,... this is a sick sad little world that we live in,...
~Ron Burgundy
I was just saying what I believed reducer to be saying. Hell, for all I know, i could be completely wrong.
Its the whole man bites dog type thing. They both suck.
This is an awsome world, sick shit just happens.
Very true.
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
its in the context of people fucking died today,... all over the world,...
i go to clemson, you think i wanted to read about a campus shooting today? i was bitching about going to play golf in the wind, and now im sitting here thankful that this asshole wasn't in clemson. those poor bastards,...
~Ron Burgundy
Your second paragraph is exactly the point. This isnt everyday life on college campuses. Of course it is going to be a huge story. That doesnt mean it is more or less tragic than a death in Iraq or any other part of the world, but quite obviously something happening of this scale happening in our own country is going to be a big headline. I seriously doubt anyone wanted to read about a campus shooting today, so not sure why you would even ask that question.
Pointless post, there are any other number of threads started about that, people are commenting about this particular shooting in here. What is the point in starting an argument in a thread like this?
All i can say is that this is another very sad story to hear. Rip to the victims and my heart goes out to their families.
it only takes one madman though.. it only takes one guy who finds out his wife has screwed a teacher and is planning to take his kids away..
now people might understand why i hate guns so much
look, i own three guns. i've done my share of hunting as well. my point was that when stupid mother fuckers get a hold of a gun, this type of shit happens. it makes me wish we could just make them all disappear. obviously, that won't happen. im pointing fingers in all directions.
im a little emotional about this shit happening. i should have called my mom instead of typing on the board. i have a friend who goes to VT, and im thankful he is okay. the only reason i said the shit about Iraq was b/c, at the time, i just felt like death was everywhere (which it is, but a lot of it is wrongful and preventable). it was a mistake,... i was not implying that any of you think the death of an iraqi is any less significant than a kid in college in america. i won't say the same for the media, but i also understand that there is a difference b/w some shit of this magnitude happening in the states versus the fear campaign. im just gonna stop posting b/c im sounding like an idiot.
~Ron Burgundy
I certainly hope your friend is ok.
The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
I get what you're saying dude. And I don't think you sound like an idiot. Hopefully this wont get turned into a debate on what could be fixed about gun issues and what cannot. There's flaws. That's undeniable.
Just another terrorist. though when american - the story of the terrorist suddenly matters
I meant there are flaws in the ease at which individuals can obtain these types of weapons. It's pretty ridiulous how easy it is. but its not going to get better.
(Anyway, this is a whole another thread. I don't want to bring this into a thread where people will offer sympathies)
It seems to happen more often in the US but these things happen all over the world, there was a similar one in Germany a few years ago as i remember, and there was a terrible one here in Scotland not so long ago where i think 13 primary school kids (aged maybe 10 or under) were shot dead.
Has there been anything said about the background or motives that this guy had in the one in the US?