Tragedy in Virginia

April 16th, 2007

No avoiding this story — CNN is announcing 31 dead, 29 wounded on the Virginia Tech campus and we don’t have final counts. A crazy visited the college early this morning, shooting in two locations over a two hour period — both teachers and students were his victims. This will be the deadliest such shooting incident [school or non] in US history. GW’s televised harangue about the traitorous withholding of war money was preempted earlier to report these details, when the body count was only 2. The shooter is dead, details are limited and the numbers of dead/wounded change frequently as the columns shift, reported from four local hospitals.

Dubby will address the nation later this afternoon, face squinchy, no doubt — in case you think I’m being harsh to mention, read the press report, second, below … a nice time to make comment on the right to bare arms, eh? Political animal, that Dubby … never misses a chance to make partisan hay. Meanwhile, the House and Senate both paused for a moments silence.

As terrible as this is, it serves as a reminder that in this country, such as incident brings everything to a halt … while in Iraq and Afghanistan, in Sudan and Darfur, such an incident is just another day in Hell.

Life is personal. We still don’t get that those senseless deaths are as poignant as these; the lines we draw on a map indicate the borders of our heart.

Jude

Gunman kills at least 21 at Virginia Tech
CNN
April 16, 2007

[open for further links, including video]

Story Highlights

• NEW: Four hospitals report 29 wounded
• Police chief says at least 22 people are dead, including gunman
• Attacks mark deadliest school shooting in U.S. history
• Student describes situation as “mayhem”; says 2 students jumped from window

(CNN) — A lone gunman is dead after police said he killed at least 21 people Monday during twin shootings on the Virginia Tech campus — the deadliest school attacks in U.S. history.

“Some victims were shot in a classroom,” university police Chief Wendell Flinchum said during a news conference in Blacksburg.

Police believe there was only one gunman, Flinchum said. (Watch the police chief explain where bodies were found )

Spokespersons for hospitals in Roanoke, Christiansburg, Blacksburg and Salem told CNN that they were treating 29 people from the shootings.

Sharon Honaker with Carilion New River Medical Center in Christiansburg said one of the four gunshot victims being treated there was in critical condition.

“Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions,” said university President Charles Steger. “The university is shocked and indeed horrified.” (Map of Blacksburg)

The killings mark the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, surpassing attacks at Columbine High School in 1999 and at the University of Texas in 1966.

One person was killed and others were wounded at multiple locations inside a dormitory about 7:15 a.m., Flinchum said. Two hours later, another shooting at Norris Hall, the engineering science and mechanics building, resulted in multiple casualties, the university reported. (Campus map)

The first reported shooting occurred at West Ambler Johnston Hall, a four-story coed dormitory that houses 895 students. The dormitory, one of the largest residence halls on the 2,600-acre campus, is located near the drill field and stadium.

Amie Steele, editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, said one of her reporters at the dormitory reported “mass chaos.”

The reporter said there were “lots of students running around, going crazy, and the police officers were trying to settle everyone down and keep everything under control,” according to Steele. (Watch police, ambulances hustle to the scene )

Kristyn Heiser said she was in class about 9:30 a.m. when she and her classmates saw about six gun-wielding police officers run by a window.

“We were like, ‘What’s going on?’ Because this definitely is a quaint town where stuff doesn’t really happen. It’s pretty boring here,” said Heiser during a phone interview as she sat on her classroom floor.

Student reports ‘mayhem’

Student Matt Waldron said he did not hear the gunshots because he was listening to music, but he heard police sirens and saw officers hiding behind trees with their guns drawn.
“They told us to get out of there so we ran across the drill field as quick as we could,” he said.

Waldron described the scene on campus as “mayhem.” (Watch a student’s recording of police responding to loud bangs )

“It was kind of scary,” he said. “These two kids I guess had panicked and jumped out of the top-story window and the one kid broke his ankle and the other girl was not in good shape just lying on the ground.”

Madison Van Duyne said she and her classmates in a media writing class were on “lockdown” in their classrooms. They were huddled in the middle of the classroom, writing stories about the shootings and posting them online.

The university is updating its more than 26,000 students through e-mails, and an Internet webcam is broadcasting live pictures of the campus.

The shootings came three days after a bomb threat Friday forced the cancellation of classes in three buildings, WDBJ in Roanoke reported. Also, the 100,000-square-foot Torgersen Hall was evacuated April 2 after police received a written bomb threat, The Roanoke Times reported.

Last August, the first day of classes was cut short by a manhunt after an escaped prisoner was accused of killing a security guard at a Blacksburg hospital and a sheriff’s deputy.

After the Monday shootings, students were instructed to stay indoors and away from windows, police at the university said.

“Virginia Tech has canceled all classes. Those on campus are asked to remain where they are, lock their doors and stay away from windows. Persons off campus are asked not to come to campus,” a statement on the university Web site said.

Before Monday, the deadliest school shootings came in 1966 and 1999.

In the former, Charles Joseph Whitman, a 25-year-old ex-Marine, killed 13 people on the University of Texas campus. He was killed by police.

In 1999, 17-year-old Dylan Klebold and 18-year-old Eric Harris — armed with guns and pipe bombs — killed 12 students and a teacher before killing themselves at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. ++

Bush Said Shocked at College Shootings
DEB RIECHMANN. AP
April 16, 2007

WASHINGTON — President Bush was described Monday as shocked and saddened by the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, the deadliest incident of campus violence ever in this country.

“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 the people of Virginia who have dealt with this shocking incident,” White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said. “His thoughts and prayers are with them.”

“The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed,” Perino said, noting that Bush and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings held a conference on school gun violence last October. “Certainly, bringing a gun into a school domitory and shooting … is against the law and something someone should be held accountable for,” Perino said.

A gunman opened fire in a dormitory and classroom at Virginia Tech, situated in the city of Blacksburg in southwest Virginia, killing at least 21 people. The gunman was killed but it was unclear whether he was shot by police or took his own life. After the shootings, all entrances to the campus were closed and classes were canceled through Tuesday.

The university reported shootings at opposite sides of the 2,600-acre campus — first at about 7:15 a.m. at a coed residence hall that houses 895 people and about two hours later at an engineering building. One student was killed in the dorm and the others were killed in a classroom, according to Virginia Tech Police Chief W.R. Flinchum.

She said that federal assistance is available if Virginia authorities request help. Perino said it was premature to discuss whether Bush would travel to the Blacksburg area. ++

“So keep fightin’ for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don’t you forget to have fun doin’ it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin’ ass and celebratin’ the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was.”
~ Molly Ivins, 1944 - 2007

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

Entry Filed under: Political Waves