Update: 10:28 p.m.
The female student killed at West AJ was shot in the back of the head -- reportedly by her estranged boyfriend.
Students are saying there was an early morning argument between the female student and her boyfriend. It's not clear whether the boyfriend had been in the room all night, or had arrived early this morning. The as yet unidentified female student's Resident Advisor (RA) entered her room in an attempt to mediate and hopefully calm the situation. Within minutes, the young lady lay dead in the floor of her dorm room. Her RA Ryan "Stack" Clark was shot in the neck. He later died.
The Blacksburg Police Department was lead to believe that the killer was a "greasy haired" guy who was driving an old pickup truck with farm plates.
Some media outlets are saying that the perpetrator murdered his girlfriend, then hid out for almost two hours before heading over to first Randolph Hall, and then Norris Hall -- going on a shooting rampage in the latter. {I don't buy that idea, at all.}
Question - Were there TWO shooters?
1) An angry boyfriend killing his girlfriend & her RA at the West Ambler Johnston dorm
2) Chinese national, who was likely not a VT student, committing massacre in Norris Hall
Monday, April 16, 2007
Murder at VT's West Ambler Johnston Dorm
Virginia Tech Massacre: News Conference Details
Update: 5:16 p.m.
Officials are holding their second major news conference of the day -- in relation to the murder of 32 students and faculty on the Virginia Tech University campus in Blacksburg, VA.
Here are the highlights:
- VT.edu is pretty much overwhelmed and not available.
- Virginia Tech has arranged for counseling for faculty, staff and students.
- Charles Steger, university president, spoke with President Bush within the last hour. He has also spoken with the Governor twice.
- 31 deaths inside Norris Hall -- including gunman
- 15 other victims injured or wounded
- 2 confirmed dead in West Ambler Johnston -- in addition to 31 @ Norris Hall (one female victim / one male victim)
- West AJ was closed immediately, but the rest of campus was not locked down because police thought incident was isolated and that shooter had left the dorm
- Gunman carried NO identification, so law enforcement have not identified him
- Students must have "swipe card" in order to enter dorms during early morning hours
- Anticipate being able to release list of those who were killed or injured by tomorrow
- Don't know if shooter was a student or not
- One gunman deceased, but police DON'T know if two incidents were related
- Second incident happened while police were investigating first incident.
- Norris Hall gunman committed suicide
- Suspect first shooting was domestic in nature -- both victims were found in a single West AJ dorm room (one female victim / one male victim)
- NO shootout between officers & gunman (despite video showing multiple law enforcement officers firing weapons towards campus buildings)
- Some Norris Hall doors were chained shut (from the inside) -- probably by gunman
- No one is in custody -- but active investigation is ongoing as to whether or not there are two gunmen
- Another news conference will be held tonight at around 7:00pm ET
Official Death Toll in Virginia Tech Massacre Is Now 32 Dead
Update: 2:25 p.m.
Eye witnesses are telling news organizations that a professor who was shot in the face died at the scene in Norris Hall. Others report that the shooter had an automatic long gun, a shotgun and two 9mm handguns -- one of which he used on himself during a gunfight with police.
Witnesses say they heard between 40 and 50 shots as they scurried from the engineering building. The shooter was wearing a vest covered in clips was just unloading on their door, going from classroom to classroom … they said it never seemed like it was going to stop and there was just blood all over.
Other people (including reporters) are already speculating on a connection between last week's bomb threats and this morning's massacre. The first was directed at Torgersen Hall, a classroom and laboratory building, while the second was directed at multiple engineering buildings.
Update: 2:00 p.m.
The death toll now OFFICIALLY stands at 32 people dead as a result of what is thought to be a lone gunman going on a rampage at Virginia Tech. Add the number of dead to the reports of 29 who were wounded, and the total of people injured or killed is more than 60.
Robert Bowman, Managing Editor of The Collegiate Times (CT), says that the prevalent rumor on campus is that the (reported) Asian gunman killed himself when confronted by law enforcement officers at Norris Hall. BTW, the Asian man being shown on news outlets (face down and handcuffed), is NOT the gunman. He is a reporter for CT.
Another rumor going around campus is that the shooter was looking for his girlfriend -- quite possibly at her dorm (West AJ) and later at class in Norris Hall.
The twenty-two dead are as follows:
- One dead from shooting on 4th floor of West AJ dorm. Another person was shot in the dorm, but was not killed.
- Twenty dead from classroom numbers 205 & 206 at Norris Hall.
- The gunman is reportedly dead, as well.
At Least 20 Dead in Norris Hall on VT Campus
Update: 12:25 p.m.
The local police chief (Chief Wendell Flinchum) is being interviewed on TV as I type. He just stated that there are at least 20 fatalities from two separate shootings at Virginia Tech this morning.
He also says that the suspected shooter is dead -- but did not know whether police killed him or he committed suicide. {There are conflicting reports regarding the suspect being in custody or dead.}
Here are the details, as I have heard them -- UPDATED -- from University President, Charles Steger, and the police chief:
- 7:40am - 911 call came into campus police from West AJ dorm (one dead on 4th floor)
- Two hours later (as investigation was going on in West AJ), reports came in regarding shootings in Norris Hall (20 dead)
- At least twenty-two dead (according to VT website)
- At least twenty-one wounded
- Two different shootings (two locations & two different times)
- Campus police, county police, state police and FBI are all on-site
Victims have been taken to Lewis-Gale Medical Center, Carilion New River Valley Medical Center, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital (RMH) and Montgomery Regional Hospital. Virginia Tech is offering counseling to employees who want assistance after today's events. The counseling is available in the Bowman Room in the Merriman Center.
Update: 12:13 p.m.
FOXNews is reporting that 17 students are currently being treated for gunshot and/or other wounds at Montgomery Regional Hospital.
Eye witnesses are saying that a heavily-armed, "Asian-looking man", wearing a thick vest, entered Norris Hall this morning -- and started shooting indiscriminately into classrooms. One fatality has been reported, but a hospital spokeswoman (Judith Chambers) says that some of the wounded being treated are in serious condition. Multiple victims are undergoing surgery for their wounds.
We also know that at least one instructor is among the wounded.
Virginia Tech Scene of Deadliest University Shooting in US History
A student who was making his way to classes on the Virginia Tech campus witnessed police grab a male who appeared to have been shot in the abdomen, place him in a police car and whisk him away from the scene. It was NOT clear to the student whether the person taken away was a victim or the shooter.
Reportedly, FBI agents are now on the scene as well.
Update: 11:21am - VT website
Sources on campus are reporting that there were two shooting incidents on campus — one that occurred between 7:15 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. at West Ambler Johnston Dorm (aka West AJ; near West End Market and Dietrick Dining Center), and another at 10 a.m. (believed to have taken place at Norris Hall). Officials told the AP there are seven to eight additional casualties. According to the VT website, "There will be an additional university statement presented today at noon."
There are VERY few OFFICIAL details at this time. We will know more when university authorities release their statement around noon today.
Update: 11:06 a.m.The Associated Press is reporting there at least one person dead as a result of multiple shootings on the Virginia Tech campus this morning. Wounded have been removed from buildings. Tech student Steve Hanson was working in a lab in Norris Hall at 10:15 a.m. when he hears what he thought was loud banging from construction. Hanson was soon scrambling out of the building and he said he saw one person who was shot in the arm. At Pritchard Hall, a dormitory near one of the shooting sites, students were being pulled into the buildings and told to stay away from windows and off the phone.
One death and one injury have been confirmed. Due to serious wind, helicopters cannot be used to transfer the injured. According to the police scanner, ambulances are being used to transport the victims to Montgomery Regional Hospital.
Updated: 10:17 a.m.
Multiple shootings have occurred at Virginia Tech this morning involving multiple victims. The second shooting happened in Norris Hall, the engineering building near Burruss Hall. Police are on the scene and rescue workers have set up a temporary treatment facility. The campus is on lock down. All classes and activities have been cancelled for the day.
Montgomery County public schools are all on lock down. In Blacksburg, no one is being allowed in any school building without approval by the school administrators, said Superintendent Tiffany Anderson.
The university has posted a notice of the incident on its Web site and is urging the university community to be cautious and contact Virginia Tech police at 231-6411 if they notice anything suspicious.
Last August, the VT campus was closed when an escaped jail inmate killed a hospital guard and a sheriff's deputy involved in a massive manhunt. The accused gunman, William Morva, faces capital murder charges.
with new information as it become available.
