[Vision2020] Shootings In VA

[J Ford]

BLACKSBURG, Virginia (CNN) -- At least 33 people, including a gunman, were 
killed Monday during shootings in a dorm and a classroom building at 
Virginia Tech, university officials said.

Two people were killed at a dormitory about 7:15 a.m., while another 30 
people were killed about two hours later at Norris Hall -- the engineering 
science and mechanics building -- university officials said.

University police Chief Wendell Flinchum said police were still 
investigating whether the two incidents are related. Investigators are not 
ruling out a second shooter, Flinchum said. (Watch the police chief explain 
where bodies were found Video)

The death toll at Norris Hall makes the incident the deadliest school attack 
in U.S. history, surpassing attacks at Columbine High School in 1999 and at 
the University of Texas in 1966.

The gunman at Norris Hall, who police say took his own life, was not 
carrying identification and has not been identified.

"Norris Hall is a tragic and a sorrowful crime scene, and we are in the 
process of identifying victims," university President Charles Steger said.

Asked why the campus, which has more than 26,000 students, was not shut down 
after the first shooting, Flinchum responded that police determined "it was 
an isolated event to that building and the decision was made not to cancel 
classes at that time."

Steger added, "We had some reason to believe the shooter had left campus."

Spokespersons for hospitals in Roanoke, Christiansburg, Blacksburg and Salem 
told CNN they were treating a total of 29 injured people from the shootings.

Sharon Honaker with Carilion New River Medical Center in Christiansburg said 
one of the four gunshot victims being treated there was in critical 
condition.

Scott Hill, a spokesman for Montgomery Regional Hospital in Blacksburg, 
where 17 wounded students were taken, said he wasn't expecting any more 
victims. (Map of Blacksburg)

The first reported shootings occurred at West Ambler Johnston Hall, a 
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. (Campus map)

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. (Watch police, ambulances 
hustle to the scene Video)

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, 
apparently responding to the Norris Hall shooting.

"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.

Another student, Tiffany Otey, said she and her classmates thought the 
gunshots were construction noise until they heard screaming and police 
officers with bulletproof vests and machine guns entered her classroom.

"They were telling us to put our hands above our head and if we didn't 
cooperate and put our hands above our heads they would shoot," Otey said. "I 
guess they were afraid, like us -- like the shooter was going to be among 
one of us."
Student reports 'mayhem'

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 Video)

"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 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.

Last August, the first day of classes was cut short by a manhunt after an 
escaped prisoner was accused of killing a Blacksburg hospital security guard 
and a sheriff's deputy.

After the Monday shootings, students were instructed to stay indoors and 
away from windows, according to a university statement. (Watch a student 
describe living through a "college Columbine" Video)

The university has scheduled a convocation for 2 p.m. ET Tuesday. Classes 
also have been canceled Tuesday. In Washington, the House and Senate 
observed moments of silence for the victims and President Bush said the 
nation was "shocked and saddened" by news of the tragedy

"Today, our nation grieves with those who have lost loved ones," he said. 
"We hold the victims in our hearts, we lift them up in our prayers and we 
ask a loving God to comfort those who are suffering today."

Before Monday, the deadliest school shootings came in 1966 and 1999.

In the former, Charles Joseph Whitman, a 25-year-old ex-Marine, killed 13 
people on the University of Texas campus. He was killed by police.

In 1999, 17-year-old Dylan Klebold and 18-year-old Eric Harris -- armed with 
guns and pipe bombs -- killed 12 students and a teacher before killing 
themselves at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.


J  :]

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