I dont have much information as of yet. Latest press conference say 33 dead 15 critical. I have two friends who go to school there and live on campus. Im asking my friends here regardless of race, religion, background or ethnicity to please Pray for those there and there familys at home.


AP - 12 minutes ago

BLACKSBURG, Va. - A gunman opened fire in a Virginia Tech dorm and then, two hours later, in a classroom across campus Monday, killing at least 32 people in the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history, government officials told The Associated Press. The gunman was killed, bringing the death toll to 33.

Oh my ****ing God. This is worse than Columbine.

Joe, I truly hope your friends are safe and sound. This is what happens when kids are bullied at school (I'm not ****ing joking).

For ****s sake.....I have this strange mix of anger, sadness, and depression.

Monday, April 16

* 7:15 a.m.: A 9-1-1 call to Virginia Tech Police reports a shooting at West Ambler Johnston Hall, leaving two people dead.[16][17]
* 9:00 a.m.: Shooter opens fire in classroom in Norris Hall, an engineering building.[16]
* 9:26 a.m.: Emails go out to campus staff and faculty saying there has been a shooting on campus.[3]
* 9:26 a.m.: An email announcing "A gunman is loose on campus. Stay in buildings until further notice. Stay away from all windows" [sic] is sent to all Virginia Tech email addresses.
* 10:52 a.m.: Follow up email goes to VTech campus regarding shooting
* 12:00 p.m.: At a press conference, authorities said there may have been more than 21 people killed and 28 injured.[18]
* 2:30 p.m.: AP reports at least 31 killed, including gunman.
* 3:40 p.m.: Virginia Tech confirms 22 dead.
* 4:01 p.m.: President Bush speaks from the White House regarding the shooting.[19]
* 4:40 p.m.: The school holds a press conference with updates on the day's events.[1]
* 4:42 p.m: Virginia Tech confirms 33 dead

Amazingly enough, and not to downplay the tragedy, but just last week on The Unit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unit) was a storyline where the boys were called in to a school in Virginia to assist local police with a group of armed men killing and taking students hostage. Last December, there was a show, can't remember which one, the storyline was about shootings at a mall, in February, a man armed with a shotgun went on a rampage in a Utah Mall (http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=TopNews&article=UPI-1-20070213-07235800-bc-us-mallkillings-1stld.xml).

Is this just coincidence or are TV writers unwittingly planning attacks for our deranged members of society?

Food for thought.

one of our alliance members is a student there---but they are ok

this is tragic to an unspeakable level

this is tragic to an unspeakable level

Cannot agree enough, it is always bad when a shooting happens, but when it happens in schools and colleges it is horrific. My thoughts and prayers go out to them all and Joe I truly hope your friends are safe and ok. Please keep us posted.

I only have email for one and the other I reach his voicemail. All there is to do is sit and wait.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Tech_shootings

A tragic event, my heart goes out to those who were affected by this. What needs to be looked into is how an event like this could happen? How was a persons life so bad that they were able to commit this act?

I have several friends (about a dozen) that go there, this being one of the big in-state schools, and I know at least one is OK . . . haven't been in touch with many of them recently, so I have to wait to hear from others who have.
What's scary is that there's a possibility that I myself might go there next year . . . regardless, it makes you think about the state and security of our nation's colleges as a whole . . . and realize how easy it really is for events such as this to happen. It's quite sad, to be honest . . .

This is really disheartening as one just about to leave high school, and hard to imagine that a person could just do that... It really does give you a sort of cold feeling that this is where the world is headed.

regardless, it makes you think about the state and security of our nation's colleges as a whole

Nope, just the ease in which it is to get guns

I often think about how to improve the security at schools/colleges/universitys. But far short of having a total lockdown system with security fences around these establishments there is very little that can be done.

It is however interesting that after the first 2 shooting this gunman was still able to remain in the establishment for a further 2 hours.

In the UK I would say this was the worst school massacre (http://century.guardian.co.uk/1990-1999/Story/0,,112749,00.html) we have ever had the misfortune to experience.

Latrobe University Shooting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Trobe_University_shooting), in Melbourne is the latest that my memory goes back to in Australia.


Aussie band The Living End (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Living_End)wrote a song for their first studio released named "Monday" in response to their personal feelings about the Dunblane shooting. The band's lead singer, Chris Cheney said, "It was such a senseless act. I just felt compelled to write a song about it."

It was not released as a single off the album, but here is a live performance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXqlouMAS2I) of it.

Lyrics:

Monday, a day like no other
Monday, was their last day
Some say, life is a struggle
Some say, life should be easy

One day, in a peaceful village
School day, in working Dunblane
One man, could change the whole world
One man, is all it took for

No school today
It's just a memory
One mind gone wrong?

I don't wanna play, on Monday
I don't wanna play, on Monday
Pinned to my memory
Not just another Monday
It seems like such a lie

Change of plans on a rainy day
A new lesson to be learnt today
Pack up your guns
And your soldiers too
Because one sick mind
Depends on you

No school today
It's just a memory
One mind gone wrong?

I don't wanna play, on Monday
I don't wanna play, on Monday
Pinned to my memory
Not just another Monday
It seems like such a lie

Playin' quietly
Along came destiny
Oh I, I don't wanna play

No school today
It's just a memory
One mind gone wrong?

I don't wanna play, on Monday
I don't wanna play, on Monday
Pinned to my memory
Not just another Monday
It seems like such a lie

Monday, it seems like such a lie
Monday, it's just a lie


Frustratingly and with the utmost respect for those that may have lost one's close to them, this event comes not long after a debate raged on our very forums about the ease of purchase, though needlessness of these types of automatic and semi-automatic firearms in the general American community (a 9mm pistol appears to be the weapon in this case (or 2)). It unfortunately is all to familiar a story in Australia to hear of a fatal multiple shooting in America involving a person who has simply decided to go down and take others with him/her.

Will America ever get tough on gun control? (If this isn't a good time to bring it up, when is?)


Sorry for any offense.


Blitzkrieg

there was one at la trobe?

Hmmmm, i didnt know that, few years ago there was one at Monash Uni in melbourne.
edit: i remember it now since reading the wiki entry.
i live around the corner from la trobe

all im gonna say is that i have a mix of sadness, and anger at not only the police but at the laws in general. I'm not going to get into a debate about it. it's all been said before.

I cant even begin to comprehend the feelings of fellow students/families.
My thoughts are with them.

there was one at la trobe?

Hmmmm, i didnt know that, few years ago there was one at Monash Uni in melbourne.
edit: i remember it now since reading the wiki entry.
i live around the corner from la trobe

Actually, that's the one (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monash_University_shooting) I was thinking of, details are more reminiscent of what I vaguely remember of the incident. Good pick up! :o

How utterly horrific! My heart goes out to all of the families and friends of the people affected. 33 lives are gone but there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of lives that will never be the same.

One of my coworkers has a close friend who attends VT. He was actually in the next classroom over from where the shooting started. He is okay and everyone he was with got out safely but he will never be the same. My coworker spent an entire, very worried, morning trying to reach him. Tragedies like this affect a lot more people than we realize sometimes. May it never happen again!!!

The criticism of President Steger and the chief of police is disgusting. The media should be ashamed of themselves. All they have done is report a death toll and basically call for the President's resignation. Students and alumni know the circumstances as far as email / commuting / security go. They're not bashing the school or the administration, but they're being baited in every question they're asked. Dispicable.

These analysts and reporters have no idea what they're talking about. They're trying to say it would take 25 minutes to walk from West AJ to Norris. That's a joke. Ten minutes tops. In a hurry, 5-7. Especially at 8:45, when there aren't that many people on the drill field walking to class. They're spewing trash from their mouth to develop a better story, and if President Steger goes, there will be outrage from the VIRGINIA TECH community.

They need to focus on the real stories at hand instead of blaming the administration. Stories like this one: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1176152812105

First, I would like to say that this is a tragedy all in all. To those affected by this personally, my sympothies.

MOOP....
I agree with you. I found myself watching a monster truck rally as I watched CNN. Or at least that's what I felt it to be. Too bad news casters were allowed to make their shows more about entertainment then news. Every interview! Those damn "reporters" would use the word Horror with such a different, bold voice. To overemphasize it. We know it so shut up when you're asking a victim to recall what happened. Oh, and I thought it was quit typical when they were asking a Palestinian(camera phone guy), if this was the most "horrible" thing he's seen? Come on, I think he's at least heard, if not seen first hand a few things from Israel that may be of the same sort? How arrogant(assuming) of people. And you could see his reaction to that question too. He didn't look to happy about it. Something like this (death), should be reported with respect and dignity. NOT showing victims with crosshair graphics behind them. For shame to the "news" of today, tomorrows enquirer's.

Again, condolences to those affected by what occured....

Cheers,

The criticism of President Steger and the chief of police is disgusting. The media should be ashamed of themselves. All they have done is report a death toll and basically call for the President's resignation. Students and alumni know the circumstances as far as email / commuting / security go. They're not bashing the school or the administration, but they're being baited in every question they're asked. Dispicable.

These analysts and reporters have no idea what they're talking about. They're trying to say it would take 25 minutes to walk from West AJ to Norris. That's a joke. Ten minutes tops. In a hurry, 5-7. Especially at 8:45, when there aren't that many people on the drill field walking to class. They're spewing trash from their mouth to develop a better story, and if President Steger goes, there will be outrage from the VIRGINIA TECH community.

They need to focus on the real stories at hand instead of blaming the administration. Stories like this one: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1176152812105

AMEN to that! The press should be utterly ashamed of themselves. I hope the media actually watched the film from the convocation today, as that showed exactly the kind of respect that the VT community has for Steger. I must say that those clips were quite moving, though not surprising. VT has that kind of heart in the school, and that will help them tremendously to overcome both the shooting itself in addition to all of the side effects from this media attention.

On another note, Charlie Gibson's extra half-hour report tonight showed him talking to President Bush. Bush was showing an unusually human side for a politician, something that I'm glad to be seeing at this point in time . . .

I got one thing to say. 2 hours is alot of time to do alot of things. Yet nothing was done

Yes, their system did not work due to the timing of the first murders. Most students were already out and about, having started their day prior to the first e-mail warning. Some that didn't have 8 o'clock classes have stated that they heeded the warning and sheltered in place.
Unfortunately, in this particular case, it really didn't matter. One Hung Low was a student and would have been able to move around at will anyhow.
The police were mislead by bad information from eyewitnesses at the scene of the first murders. They had detained the first victims boyfriend off-campus as that was the initial belief that it was a domestic and witnesses stated that the perpetrator left campus. Sorrowfully, we know that now to not be the case.

Agreed, it is easy to judge now, after the fact. Ask any officer when dealing with any situation. They don't "know" until later on. They have to get as much information they can. If people were misleading them(not on purpose), then they follow that lead. Seeing as 2 hours passed, to most that would seem to indicate it was over. In this case we know that not be true. I think more could have been done, now that it's over. Maybe this can be a lesson learned for future(and yes it will eventually happen again) occurances...

Cheers,

One year later the healing continues......

My prayers are still with them families. Take this day and reflect at what could of been and what was.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm207/joeydadeuce/vatech.jpg