At least 31 killed in Virginia Tech shootings

"If the fatality numbers are 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 at least one person and wounded several others 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.

When it was all over, there were a total of 31 fatalities, including the gunman.

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

Reporters had initially been told that there had been only one death in one incident. A gasp of shock erupted at the news conference when Police Chief Wendell Flinchum told stunned reporters he had "a ballpark figure of fatalities" of at least 20.

Another 29 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 his identity. The motive for the attack is also unknown.

FBI spokesman Richard Kolko in Washington said there was no evidence to suggest it was a terrorist attack, "but all avenues will be explored.''

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

This is 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.

Police said there had been bomb threats on the Virginia Tech campus over the past two weeks but authorities said they have not determined a link to Monday's shootings.

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.

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, in Tokyo for a two-week Asian trade mission, is on his way home after being given word of the shooting.

A statement from Kaine says it is "difficult to comprehend senseless violence on this scale.''

The previous deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history was in 1991, when George Hennard drove his pickup into a Luby's Cafeteria in Killen, Texas, and shot 23 people to death, then himself."
http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/Mor...etect=&abc=abc

Rest in peace to the fallen victims.

ya well they prolly deserved it in some way

Ok so how about I come down to your school and shoot you in the face, then go down to your younger brothers or sisters class and shoot him/her in the face because he/she is your sibling and that's what they deserve. No that was fucking ignorant, it's not confirmed if they were all bothering him or not. Still dosn't mean you shoot 30+ people. Who ever else says something rude I fucking hope someone comes to your school and makes you suck their dick then slits your fucking throat infront of the media.

How the hell did these people deserve it? How could you even say that? People like yourself should be hung for talking like that.

if somnone pulls out a gun i doubt anyone would think to work in unison

Yeah.
lets let everyone in the US have a gun!!

Shooting crimes are falling and all that, after all.

People, my dear, are cowards.
Especially American people. If I was brought up in a community full of guns and crime, I would be a scared idiot too. Nobody was willing to jump him, simply because they were too scared, just like you would be in that situation.

It's easy to say you'd do all these things, but nobody ever would.