Deadly shooting at US university. 33 dead - Worst in US history

[Roph]

More than 20 people dead in Virginia Tech shootings

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) - A gunman opened fire in a dorm and classroom at Virginia Tech on Monday, killing 21 people in the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. The gunman was killed but it was unclear if he was shot by police or took his own life.

"Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions," said Virginia Tech president Charles Steger. "The university is shocked and indeed horrified."

The university reported shootings at opposite sides of the 2,600-acre campus, beginning at about 7:15 a.m. 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.

The name of the gunman was not released.

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.

On Monday, one student was killed in a dorm and the others were killed in the classroom, Virginia Tech Police Chief W.R. Flinchum.

After the shootings, all entrances to the campus were closed and classes canceled through Tuesday.

"There's just a lot of commotion. It's hard to tell exactly what's going on," said Jason Anthony Smith, 19, who lives in the dorm where shooting took place.

Aimee Kanode, a freshman from Martinsville, said the shooting happened on the 4th floor of West Ambler Johnston dormitory, one floor above her room. Kanode's resident assistant knocked on her door about 8 a.m. to notify students to stay put.

"They had us under lockdown," Kanode said. "They temporarily lifted the lockdown, the gunman shot again."

"We're all locked in our dorms surfing the Internet trying to figure out what's going on," Kanode said.

Madison Van Duyne, a student who was interviewed by telephone on CNN, said, "We are all in lockdown. Most of the students are sitting on the floors away from the windows just trying to be as safe as possible."

It was second time in less than a year that the campus was closed because of a shooting.

In August 2006, the opening day of classes was canceled and the campus closed when 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, William Morva, faces capital murder charges.

Source.




http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/16/vtech.shooting/index.html

or

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6560685.stm

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n84/ ... 16virg.jpg[/img]

 

[Ellie]

I just heard this on the news... It's shocking why anyone would do anything like that, I mean 21 people who he didn't even know, let alone students...

 

[ImmuneEntity]

Yeah, the death toll is now above 30. I believe over 50 people were shot total. I can't believe he was able to get that many shots off without someone stopping him...

 

[Chains Of Fate]

My cousin and people I graduated with go there, I still haven't been able to hear anything.

My condolences go out to the families of the victims. I hope no one I knew was among those affected.

 

[Cruelty]

This is the part where they blame music and television.

 

[Balian]

I'm watching CNN right now and they just showed a video that someone taped. You could her the gunfire and see abot 10 cops just standing there doing nothing.

 

[ddrfreak_bb]

This is the part where they blame music and television.

This is said part.

 

[Bunnie]

I was watching this a good majority of the morning. Some of the details are just... disgusting. I heard that before the guy actually started shooting, he chained all the doors shut, so no one could get in, and the police and paramedics wouldn't be able to make an easy entrance. People never cease to amaze me.

And on a different note, I think it was Fox that was interviewing one of the students that was present, and he worked in a "Super Serial" comment... ManBearPig anyone? I may have been the only person that noticed this, but I was slightly amused. <_<

Edit: Jack Thompson is Satan.

 

[Bunnie]

What happened was absolutely horrible, yes. You really have to question what kind of world we live in when people have to worry about their lives when they're simply trying to earn an education. Trust me, if anyone is at all sympathetic and remorseful, it's me. But, where the hell is the harm in being curious about a comment made by one of the students regarding the shooting? You're being highly unrealistic if you expect any member of this forum, or anywhere else for that matter, to shed a tear over a South Park reference, especially when it was made by a victim of the incident itself.

 

[holloway]

I'm afraid this is the other hand of easy to get hold of weapons. Argue there are benefits all you want, but when you can just walk into a shop and grab a weapon in a few days well....I can think of a number of kids who would have done this over here had they this sort of access.

Edit: That Jack Thompson thing is disgusting. I'm surprised he hasn't been done for wasting police time yet given the amount of cases he's put forward.

 

[madmax_vii]

The accused gunman, William Morva, faces capital murder charges.

after searching the net on this guy, turns out it isn't the first time he's striked, he's even got his own Wiki on his history

William Charles Morva (born c. 1982) is a person who allegedly is the sole gunman who killed two people: sheriff's deputy Cpl. Eric Sutphin and hospital security guard Derrick McFarland, in the town of Blacksburg, Virginia, United States, near the university campus of Virginia Tech. He had escaped from custody on August 20, 2006, before being recaptured a day later.

Morva had been in custody awaiting trial for an August 2005 attempted armed robbery of a Deli Mart in Blacksburg. He and an accomplice allegedly attempted to enter the closed store, but left after discovering that the door was locked.

Edit: Update from the university

Notice
Shooting at Virginia Tech / Statement by President Charles W. Steger
By Larry Hincker

BLACKSBURG, Va., April 16, 2007

Tuesday, there will be a university convocation/ceremony at 2 p.m. at Cassell Coliseum.

-----------------

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.

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

-----------------

Counseling is available in the Bowman Room on the fourth floor of Jamerson Athletic Center, accessible from Jamerson or the Merryman Athletic Facility, for employees who seek assistance following today's events.

-----------------

Virginia Tech has closed today Monday, April 16, 2007. On Tuesday, April 17, classes are canceled. The university will remain open for administrative operations.

Tuesday, there will be a university convocation/ceremony at 2 p.m. at Cassell Coliseum. The Inn at Virginia Tech has been designated as the site for parents to gather and obtain information.

 

[Lene]

That has nothing to do with this shooting. William Morva was on the Virgina Tech campus way back in the fall...he has nothing to do with it, although if they want to put him as a suspect because of his past incident with the school, eh.

 

[Cruelty]

You're comparing a school shooting with a death count of 33 to 9/11?
Different ballpark, man.

gunshot =/= airplane crash

I don't see what's wrong with making a joke like that during that situation. For all you know, he habitually says that. I do that often with lines from jay and silent bob, I don't really think about it, and say shit that isn't appropriate for whatever setting i may be in... because I'm so used to saying it.

 

[ama55]

I totally agree with scruff on this one. I am at a university right now, and all day I've just been thinking what I would do in that situation. I can't even imagine. The sad part is, how horrible this may be, no one on campus seems to even care. Is this close to 9/11, no, but we can NOT understate this incident enough!

What I've heard from watching CNN, is the police did a fine job. Do I know for certain? No, but rushing into a building you've probably never been in before knowing for certain that there is a gunman on the lose is a DUMB decision. Trust me, I'm in law enforcement and everything I've heard about what they did is by the book. This isn't some kind of action movie, this is real life shit.

 

[Rhazdel]

What happened yesterday is a true tragedy and I think all of our hearts and wishes go out to all those that lost their lives and to all the families that had their lives changed forever by this horrendous event.

 

[Cruelty]

32 deaths is NOT a massacre. Saying one small joke during a serious situation isn't being a total dick.

I never understood the logic behind the whole 'I'm so sorry that x amount of people that I never knew existed died' thing, though.

 

[FoxDemonSoavi]

Okay, you people, there are innocent shot all across the country, our own peopel are the worst and msot frequent terrorists in our country. And you don't see people compliaing that often. This is just one of many tragidies that occured all over the country. Gang violence, robberies, lots of bad shit all over the place.
Its just another columbine like incident. LEts stop attackign terrorists in forign countries and deal with the ones that are actualy harming us in our own country. Our OWN people. And it is all caused by a lot of societal problems.
Its sad, but it happens so frickin often.

 

[holloway]

32 deaths is NOT a massacre. Saying one small joke during a serious situation isn't being a total dick.

I never understood the logic behind the whole 'I'm so sorry that x amount of people that I never knew existed died' thing, though.

32 deaths by ONE MAN WITH A PISTOL is a massacre. End of

Also that second part just shows how little respect you have for the families of dead people. You're saying you're not sorry for their loss?

 

[Volrath]

32 deaths is NOT a massacre. Saying one small joke during a serious situation isn't being a total dick.

I never understood the logic behind the whole 'I'm so sorry that x amount of people that I never knew existed died' thing, though.

Your username suddenly seems very apt.

The reason people say "I'm so sorry that x amount of people that I never knew existed died" is because they are. They may not personally know any of the people involved (if they did they likely wouldn't be hanging around posting on a message board), but that doesn't mean they aren't saddened/disturbed by their fellow humans being senselessly killed. This guy was lining up the people and shooting them in the head execution style. It takes a pretty cold person to simply say "better them than me" and move on with their business...and even colder to ridicule those who try to reach out, even in the smallest of ways, and offer sympathy.

Jack Thompson and others are already playing the blame game in regard to this, but the inherent flaw in blaming movies/video games/music is that all these things are found in plenty of other nations....and those countries don't come even close in terms of gun-related murders. The reason for these outbreaks of violence is rooted somewhere deep in American culture. I can't say for sure what it is, but as soon as we acknowledge that the problem goes deeper than whatever violent game is selling well at the moment, the sooner we'll come to solving it.

 

[Rhazdel]

32 deaths is NOT a massacre. Saying one small joke during a serious situation isn't being a total dick.

I never understood the logic behind the whole 'I'm so sorry that x amount of people that I never knew existed died' thing, though.

Total number of people killed in the Boston Massacre: 5

32 innocent and senseless deaths, and you don't think that this is a tragedy?

The reason people say "I'm sorry so many people died" is because we all share a simple thing called empathy. We feel bad for both those that lost their lives and the families who must suffer the loss of a loved one because we can imagine what it would be like to lose friends, family, spouses, significant others and other loved ones to such a senseless act.

That is 32 brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, neices, nephews, boyfriends, girlfriends, fiances, husbands and wives that lost their lives. How can you trivialize that?

And, to FoxDemonSoavi and Volrath, I agree. It is, in my opinion, a combination of something in American society as well as our Constitutional freedoms that allow for things like this to happen more frequently in the United States than anywhere else in the world.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND: I am not trying to demonize, or in any other way, put down the U.S. Constitution or anything of our freedoms that make this country so great. All I am saying is that when our country provides us the right to easy access of firearms it can be a great thing. But, at times like these, we become fully aware of the terrible drawbacks that sometimes come attached to these freedoms.