Update: 2:55 p.m.
Brian Cross, a VT student, was just interviewed live on WSLS-TV. Here are the highlights of his statements:
- The gunman, who is described as an Asian male in his 20's wearing a maroon cap and a black leather jacket, was on the second floor of Norris Hall. Cross was on 3rd floor of Norris Hall taking a test.
- Students initially thought shooting sounds were construction noises (which is going on next door).
- A female student finished her test and was walking down to the second floor. She saw a student jump down the stairwell from a higher floor -- screaming about gunshots. The female student said she also saw smoke from gunshots.
- Everyone in classroom heard girl screaming and more gunshots.
- The SWAT team arrived soon after. They called for "Rescue squad - floor two". SWAT escorted students out of building.
Update: 2:40 p.m.
Ten ATF agents are on the Virginia Tech campus assisting with weapons identification. They are collecting shell casings and running some preliminary tests on scene. Once the weapon has been identified, they will begin an "urgent trace" to determine its origins — where it came from, to whom it was registered, and its history of ownership. All material will be sent to the ATF's national crime lab in Maryland.
The AP is revising their death toll from 32 to 31. NewzReviews certainly hopes the death toll numbers are errors of urgency -- and the actual number is MUCH lower.
