33 Dead, 15 Wounded On The Campus Of Virginia Tech University Today

[alicemary]

Please pray for the families affected by the terrible tragedy that is unfolding at Virginia Tech. 20 students killed/28 at least wounded. This area is in shock.
Thank you,
Alicemary

[Era Might]

What happened?

[Ash Wednesday]

That is terrible. I will be praying!

[Ash Wednesday]

That is terrible. I will be praying!

[cmotherofpirl]

ABC news had a live report on now. One dead in a dorm and the rest in an engineering building.

[prose]

What happened??

[prose]

Police: 21 Dead in Virginia Tech Shootings

Reported by: Megan Healey
04/16/2007 12:24pm

BLACKSBURG, VA - There have been at least 20 deaths in two shootings this morning at Virginia Tech University.

Blacksburg police confirm the killings happened this morning in shootings at West Ambler Johnston Hall and Norris Hall.

Most of the fatalities happened at Norris Hall, where 19 people were reported killed.

Police say the shootings were first reported at about 7:15 this morning when police received a 911 call.

Police say the gunman was killed, but they're not sure whether he shot himself or was killed by police.

Another 21 people were reportedly injured.

The shooting was one of the worst a university campus since 15 people were killed in a 1966 shooting at the University of Texas campus.

In that incident, Charles Whitman shot people at random from the tower in the middle of the campus. That shooting took place August 1st, 1966.


Stay tuned to NBC25 News and Your4State.com for updates to this breaking news story.

[morostheos]

Prayers. I'm still in a bit of shock myself. I have lots of friends at Virginia tech and was the campus minister at a university 20 minutes from there last year.

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

Oh my A friend of mine graduated from there a considerable time ago...

Prayers...

[Church Punk]

More than 20 people have been killed in two shooting incidents on opposite sides of the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.



Local law enforcement officers take up position on Clay Street on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Va. on Monday, April 16, 2007. (The Roanoke Times / Alan Kim)

If the fatality numbers can be confirmed, it would be the worst shooting on a university campus in the United States.

Details of the incident are still sketchy but it appears that a gunman killed one person at a co-ed residence hall at about 7:15 a.m. local time.

Police responded to that incident and began investigating.

About two hours later, a second shooting erupted at Norris Hall, an engineering building on the opposite end of the 1,050-hectare campus. At least 21 people were killed there, including the gunman.

"We have a ballpark figure of fatalities. It's at least 20 fatalities," Police Chief Wendell Flinchum told stunned reporters who had initially been told that there had been only one death in one incident.

"Today, the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions," university president Charles Steger told the morning news conference.

"The university is shocked and indeed horrified."

Another 21 were injured and taken to hospital; at least one is in critical condition.

It's not clear how many of the victims were students.

A gunman was found dead at the scene of the second incident, though it's unclear whether he was shot by authorities or shot himself.

Police say they believe that one gunman was involved in both incidents, but they have released no information about the gunman.

The university was able to update its 26,000 students through emails. The college has cancelled all classes for Monday and Tuesday.

This could be the worst shooting on a university campus in the United States since a gunman went to the top of the tower on the University of Texas campus on Aug. 1, 1966, and opened fire. That gunman killed 15 people, including his mother and wife the night before, and wounded 31 others.

This is also the second time in less than a year that the Virginia Tech campus has been closed because of a shooting.

In August 2006, 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 is still awaiting trial on capital murder charges.

U.S. President George Bush was said to be shocked by Monday's massacre.

"He was horrified and his immediate reaction was one of deep concern for the families of the victims, the victims themselves, the students, the professors and all of the people of Virginia who have dealt with this shocking incident," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

Perino added it was premature to discuss whether Bush would travel to the Blacksburg area.

More to come...

[homeschoolmom]

Oh NO!

[SJRod55]

Prayers are with you all. I just do not understand this phenomena in the USA. It just does not happen like this in other places.

I will pray for you.

[KnightofChrist]

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

[Sojourner]

I read about this earlier today.

Awful, simply awful

[Ash Wednesday]

[quote name='Rod' post='1245849' date='Apr 16 2007, 02:55 PM']Prayers are with you all. I just do not understand this phenomena in the USA. It just does not happen like this in other places.

I will pray for you.[/quote]

I wish that were true -- there was a shooting in Germany where 18 people were killed in 2002, and 16 people in Dunblane, Scotland in 1996...

But anyway. 33 people. How very horrific.... students are saying the school handled this terribly.