Virginia Tech Shooting, 22 confirmed dead including Students

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.

UPDATE: Monday, April 17th 2007 10:13AM
As of now, 33 people are confirmed dead. One person from West Ambler Johnston Hall and at least 20 people from Norris Hall have been killed. The shooter as well has been killed, but it is uncertain as to whether it is a student or not. The names of 13 students and 4 professors killed during this shooting incident have been identified with information gathered from various sources.

TOP Points

    * Gunman massacres 33 at two Virginia Tech sites
    * Survivor: He fired at professor first, then students
    * Some students jumped from windows to escape
    * Other students locked themselves in teacher’s office
    * It is the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history
    * Gunman identified as Cho Seung-hui, a 23-year-old English major from South Korea
    * Cho called a loner by university official
    * Reasonable to assume Cho was shooter in both dorm and classroom, police say
    * Police: Victims found in four classrooms, stairwell

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. Dining halls have been cleared to resume operations.

The university is requesting that students limit movement while police continue their investigation.

NBC’s Pete Williams said two law enforcement officials told him the gunman killed himself. They also said the gunman used a 9-mm handgun and a .22-caliber pistol during the rampage, Williams reported. He said the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was trying to track the weapons.

Officials also suspect that the gunman had chained the doors of the classroom building to prevent victims from fleeing.

A White House spokesman said President Bush was horrified by the rampage and offered his prayers to the victims and the people of Virginia.

“The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed,” spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

The university set up a meeting place for families to reunite with their children at the Inn at Virginia Tech. Counseling services will be available until 9:00 p.m. tonight(April 16) in Ambler Johnston’s third cross-over lounge for those who reside in West or East Ambler Johnston. General counseling will be available to the rest of the campus community at McComas Hall until 9:00 p.m.

“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.” .

According to a post on the Virginia Tech website,

Two shootings on campus today have left 22 confirmed dead, including students.

Families wishing to reunite with students are suggested to meet at the Inn at Virginia Tech. The university is planning a convocation for tomorrow at noon at Cassell Coliseum for the university community to come together to begin to deal with the tragedy.

Counseling is available in the Bowman Room in the Merriman Center (part of the athletic complex) for employees who seek assistance following today’s events.

All faculty and staff have been released and asked to go home effective immediately.

The university will open tomorrow at 8 a.m. but classes are cancelled.

Statement by Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger

The university was struck today with a tragedy of monumental proportions. There were two shootings on campus. In each case, there were fatalities. The university is shocked and horrified that this would befall our campus. I want to extend my deepest, sincerest and most profound sympathies to the families of these victims which include students There are 22 confirmed deaths.

We currently are in the process of notifying families of victims. The Virginia Tech Police are being assisted by numerous other jurisdictions. Crime scenes are being investigated by the FBI, University Police, and State Police. We continue to work to identify the victims impacted by this tragedy. I cannot begin to covey my own personal sense of loss over this senselessness of such an incomprehensible and heinous act The university will immediately set up counseling centers. So far centers have been identified in Ambler Johnston and the Cook Counseling Center to work with our campus community and families.

Here are some of the facts we know:

At about 7:15 a.m. this morning a 911 call came to the University Police Department concerning an event in West Ambler Johnston Hall. There were multiple shooting victims. While in the process of investigating, about two hours later the university received reports of a shooting in Norris Hall. The police immediately responded. Victims have been transported to various hospitals in the immediate area in the region to receive emergency treatment.

We will proceed to contact the families of victims as identities are available.

All classes are cancelled and the university is closed for the remainder of today. The university will open Tuesday at 8 a.m. but classes are cancelled. The police are currently staging the release of people from campus buildings.

Families wishing to reunite with the students are suggested to meet at the Inn at Virginia Tech. We are making plans for a convocation tomorrow (Tuesday) at noon at Cassell Coliseum for the university community to come together to begin to deal with the tragedy.

Related Links:

1. Podcast:: Statement by President Steger (3.1 MB; Length 3:21)

2. Virginia Tech Website

3. Virginia Tech Campus Alerts page

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