32 Killed in Virginia Tech Massacre
A lone gunman opened fire early Monday morning at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA, killing 32 people in what officials say is the deadliest shooting massacre in U.S. history. According to CNN, the gunman first entered residence hall West Ambler Johnston, where he shot and killed two students.
Over a two-hour span, the gunman then crossed the 2,600-acre campus where he continued his shooting rampage at the engineering building, Norris Hall.
Virginia Tech president Charles Steger said, "Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions. The university is shocked and indeed horrified."
According to police, one man who shot and killed himself was responsible for the shootings. As reported by CNN, the gunman has been identified as Cho Seung-hui, a 23-year-old English major at the university.
Through email and text-messaging students and school officials communicated the horrific events and police instructions. Several classrooms were in "lock down" with the lights off, blinds closed and students under desks during the attack. Other students captured vivid video on cell phones during the rampage and called into news programs to report the events.
The number of dead and wounded totals 33 including the shooter. At least 17 others were wounded.
Past Threats
Classes were cancelled Friday in three buildings after receiving a bomb threat. Also, on April 2, WDBJ in Roanoke reported Torgersen Hall was evacuated after a police received a written bomb threat.
On August 21, 2006, the university campus was shut down on what would have been the first day of classes and students told to remain inside after an escaped jail inmate William Morva, who shot two people to death, was spotted on campus.
See Also:
Virginia Tech Shooter Identified
Worst U.S. Shooting Ever Kills 33 on Va. Campus
Witness Survives by Pretending to be Dead
Timeline of Events
Comments
Do we dare to guess that it was a Muslim that was the gunman???
No Anon, it could have been any misguided, troubled person. Madness knows no particular race, religion or political associates, etc., etc. It’s always there for anyone weak enough to let it control them.
Please don’t bring ignorant prejudices and stereotypes into this. Muslims are not the only people who commit acts of violence. Could you be anymore brainwashed? Were the Columbine shooters Muslim? Nope, just your average white teenage males. Red Lake? Nope. Come on.
Why do the interests of the National Rifle Association and the gun lobby take precedence over the interests of American citizens who want to protect their children from maniacs? When are we going to come to our senses and realize that the right to bear arms should not give one the right to own an arsenal of automatic and semi-automatic firearms? Does the right to shoot firecrackers on the 4th of July in rural Georgia give me the right to set off an atom bomb? If we want a safe and sane society, there have to be some limitations, people. Normal people don’t need semi-automatic Lugers.
I am not surprised that a foreign student did this massacre. Another reason to accept racial profiling these days.Loners from foreign countries that do not exceed or feel left out will ACT out. I have seen it before.
Pleas don’t show your ignorance by pointing our racial or foreign backgrounds as being the culprit in this massacre. We have experienced enough murder massacres, serial killers and the like who are white american citizens born and bred. Lunacy does not apply to any ethnic origin in particular. Timothy McVeigh was a white american.
Why does everything have to have a racial slant to it. In Montreal we have at least 3 such type shootings (Concordia University, Universite de Montreal & Dawson College) and not one was Black, Muslin, Asian, etc…Madness transcends all barriers. We do not know what drove this person, if anything. Personally I think the guns laws really need to be examined. It is just way too easy to get firearms. Although the determined will still get the gun, if the laws were stricter maybe the borderline would just give up. Did someone see the signals..who knows and even if you did, what could have anyone done. So folks, please do not start pointing that racial finger all that does is make more tension.
This is really sad to be talking about rightnow. I have friends who were at that school. I don’t know if they are Dead or Alive.Why would some maniac Do this to many innocent people. People who have kids at home, and are married? Those who are protected by THE LORD:JESUS…
I would just like to say that we need to stop and pray for the families, friends and fellow students in Virgina Tech. As a nation, we need to come together and pray not sit and point fingers. What does that accomplish at a time like this. I agree that the average person does not need a semi-automatic firearm. But it was also said that a determined person will get one. I don’t pretend to have the answers, but let’s be adults and try to come up with some constructive ways to stop this madness and pass it on to the lawmakers of this great nation.
I think everyone needs to be concern about the victims, victim’s families, college, the community and what else is in store for the US with us being a melting pot for different culture. But madness does know any religion, boundaries, age, culture, race, or creed. We need to bring GOD back into our lives by electing leaders (from the President of the US to the coucilman in out community)that are good God fearing people and lead us by listening to GOD.
Muslim
- follower of Islam: somebody whose religion is Islam
- followers of Islam: relating to the followers of Islam or to areas, cultures, or activities in which followers of Islam are especially numerous. So Muslim is a follower of Islam and it is not a race. So before you speak you need to know the facts also.
The “Gun free school zones” have simply created “zones” where the crazed- and there seem to be “signs” Mr. Cho needed serious mental health help- or terror groups – have the freedom to take their time slaughtering innocent, untrained, unarmed, students/civilians. would that one student or instructor have been an “off duty” police officer or LEO- until the leftist gun controllers (gun banners, really- there is no middle ground in this debate over an American fundamental right) in our country take a page out of the Israeli textbook and arm school and college administrators and teachers to prevent these attacks or to terminate them. where do you think the terrorist groups will attack next? a school, a “gun free” shopping mall-easy… the terrorists are reading and watching these reports and how easy it is to attack our “gun free zones”, particularly schools and colleges. Even if unarmed, a group of students could have rushed him- at least their deaths and injuries would not have been in vain. No one out in public today, post 9/11, in the USA OR Europe, can afford to be in “Condition White” any longer.
I am a retired federal law enforcement officer, disarmed at my job- college instructor- by my school’s “no guns” policy, and i know what i will do if anyone ever enters my classroom, or my zone of awareness, with an exposed weapon, to attack me or my students.
I am a Hokie. I’d like to point out some errors in this piece on the VT shooting.
This article states:
“According to police, one man who shot and killed himself was responsible for the shootings”
While it’s *nearly* certain that Cho did the shootings in both locations, police have,so far, only stated that *the gun* was used in both shootings but they continue their investigation as to evidence that Cho was the shooter in both locations.
The article states that some classrooms were in “lockdown”….at the time of the second shootings.
This is also not true. The second shootings occurred in only one building and with NO warning. AS THE SHOOTING took place, students took cover under desks and baricaded classroom doors as best they could. There was NO “lockdown” in Norris Hall where most of the victims were shot.
I count on ABOUT.COM to be accurate! Please do your research!
Maybe we should consider stricter gun control, yes the crimnals will alway get the guns, but I don’t think its the crimnals thats shooting up our schools. Also mental health in this country maybe needs to be re evaluated. Just a thought.
Please, please, let us not blame a race, country or the parents for the acts of a troubled teen. That says it all, ” a troubled teen/young man”
Did we blame the Irish for Timothy McVeigh? He killed 168 people.
How about blaming the British for Ted Bundy. Who can we get for Wayne Gacey and Ed Gein? Anyone who wants to retaliate against a Korean/asian is just as troubled as this boy was. What we should really do is stand TOGETHER as human beings and pray for all of those who mourn—ALL of them.
STOP BEING RACIST!.. anybody of any race could have done this.
I think that this trategy was terrible and schools need to close in motgomery county and other schools to remember this trategy every year on april 16
I truly do not believe all these MURDERERS or SHOOTERS that we see or read are born to be like the way everybody portrays them to be. My heart and prayers goes out to all families and friends that are affected by this. But please take in mind for all PARENTS out there. You are yet to be afraid for your son or daughter’s safety when they attend elementary, middle, high school or even college but yet sometimes there’s 2 sided stories. Being a mother or father figure in your kids life affect how they react and treats everybody else. Setting a good example for them may further protect our children instead of hearing all these killings. As you may read or heard, all the shooters at school killings are students that got mistreated or bully. How are you able to protect you children if you are not even able to teach them the most common manners in life! RESPECT. Being cruel may look cool infront of their friends but may cost them and everybody else their lives.