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(Message started by: Shannon on Apr 16th, 2007, 1:58pm)

Title: Virginia Tech Rampage
Post by Shannon on Apr 16th, 2007, 1:58pm
Death Toll in Virginia Tech Rampage at 31
By SUE LINDSEY
AP
BLACKSBURG, Va. (April 16) - A gunman opened fire in a dorm and classroom at Virginia Tech on Monday, killing at least 30 people in the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history, government officials told The Associated Press. The gunman was killed, bringing to death toll to 31, but it was unclear if he was shot by police or took his own life.

"Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions," said Virginia Tech president Charles Steger. "The university is shocked and indeed horrified."

The name of the gunman was not immediately released, and investigators offered no motive for the attack. It was not clear if the gunman was a student.

The shootings spread panic and confusion on campus, with witnesses reporting students jumping out the windows of a classroom building to escape the gunfire. SWAT team members with helmets, flak jackets and assault rifles swarmed over the campus. Students and faculty members carried out some of the wounded themselves, without waiting for ambulances to arrive.

The bloodbath took place at opposite sides of the 2,600-acre campus, beginning at about 7:15 a.m. at West Ambler Johnston, a coed dormitory that houses 895 people, and continuing at least two hours later at Norris Hall, an engineering building about a half-mile away, authorities said.

Police said they were still investigating the shooting at the dorm when they got word of gunfire at the classroom building.

After the first shots were fired, students were warned to stay indoors and away from the windows. But some students said they thought the precautions had been lifted by the time the second burst of gunfire was heard, and some bitterly questioned why the gunman was able to strike a second time, two hours after the bloodshed began.

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

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/death-toll-in-virginia-tech-rampage-at/20070416102509990001

Title: Re: Virginia Tech Rampage
Post by Shannon on Apr 16th, 2007, 1:59pm
This is unbelievably sad and scary. What is this world coming to? �???

Title: Re: Virginia Tech Rampage
Post by tkc1989 on Apr 16th, 2007, 2:27pm
I couldn't believe this when I saw it on the news :-[ :'(. They also said that some witnesses said that some of the students were lined up against a wall and shot execution style...that's just horrific :'( Can't imagine what the families must be going through.

Title: Re: Virginia Tech Rampage
Post by Shannon on Apr 16th, 2007, 2:43pm
I haven't heard that yet. That is horrific!

Title: Re: Virginia Tech Rampage
Post by DWG on Apr 16th, 2007, 4:56pm
It's scary and disheartening that in these times, a simple thing like going to school and furthering your education carries the risk of having some random, senseless event like this take your future from you.


Title: Re: Virginia Tech Rampage
Post by Shannon on Apr 16th, 2007, 5:12pm

on 04/16/07 at 16:56:06, DWG wrote:
It's scary and disheartening that in these times, a simple thing like going to school and furthering you education carries the risk of having some random, senseless event like this take your future from you.

That's what I was just saying to my husband. Here's a group of kids just trying to better their lives for the future and BAM in a heartbeat it's all taken from them. SAD SAD SAD  :'(

I haven't been able to watch the news footage. It just rips me apart.

Title: Re: Virginia Tech Rampage
Post by ChickenCookie on Apr 16th, 2007, 5:56pm
Awful, just so awful.  The worst is that the coward took his own life, so no one will ever really get any answers or closure about his reasoning.  I really feel for the families of the students.  

Title: Re: Virginia Tech Rampage
Post by Christian on Apr 17th, 2007, 4:50am
I wonder who you think you are
You damn well think you're God or something?
God give life, God taketh it away, not you
I think you are the devil itself




Am I the only one who cannot watch or read media coverage on this? It's so gratuitous and tactless that it makes me feel as if I'm doing the victims a disservice by watching/reading it.

Title: Re: Virginia Tech Rampage
Post by Pondering My Fate on Apr 17th, 2007, 6:36am
:'(.


on 04/17/07 at 04:50:49, Christian wrote:
Am I the only one who cannot watch or read media coverage on this? It's so gratuitous and tactless that it makes me feel as if I'm doing the victims a disservice by watching/reading it.

I don't want to, but I'd feel apathetic if I didn't read about it. I haven't watched any of the TV coverage though -- I really have no desire to see the clips the 24-hour news stations have been playing ad nauseum. (It's a sad world when not only are innocent people being mass murdered, but that all someone can think of doing instead of escaping is to whip out their camera phone and record the cops running in...)

Title: Re: Virginia Tech Rampage
Post by Shannon on Apr 17th, 2007, 7:40am

on 04/17/07 at 04:50:49, Christian wrote:
Am I the only one who cannot watch or read media coverage on this? It's so gratuitous and tactless that it makes me feel as if I'm doing the victims a disservice by watching/reading it.

I've read some of the media but I can't bring myself to watch the clips. It's so senseless and horrific.

Title: Re: Virginia Tech Rampage
Post by GooFreak26 on Apr 17th, 2007, 9:58am
Hi guys, been away for a while, but I'm here, this is just tragic, and it's disheartening especially when you have kids, and you wonder what is the world gonna be like in 12 years when she goes to college?

My heart is with all the families.

Title: Re: Virginia Tech Rampage
Post by laurengoo on Apr 18th, 2007, 2:23pm
That is absolutely horrible what happened at VT. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone and their families at this time.

You're right Shannon, what is this world coming to? It saddens me.

Title: Re: Virginia Tech Rampage
Post by nmf016 on Apr 18th, 2007, 9:55pm
I just spent some time reading about this and watching the news channels.  I hadn't given it much thought over the last couple days as I have been wrapped up in my own little immediate world of school.

I find myself feeling terrible for victims and their families, obviously, but also for the killer.  From many accounts, this guy was really sick.  I believe there are people who are just mean terrible people, but I also believe sometimes a person is just really mentally ill.  It's so easy to be completely anonymous on a large campus if you want to and to get overlooked when you really need some help.  I'm not trying to justify what he did, but I can understand how someone could allow their mental health to get really messed up on a college campus.  I'm also pretty disturbed how anyone who has crossed paths with him, even high school classmates who just passed him in a hall 4 years ago, is jumping at the chance to analyze him on tv.

As for the victims, it just really saddens me.  To get up, go to class, and end up dead or injured.  As a college student, I've always felt like academic buildings, and campuses to a lesser degree, were safe wonderful places and it's just sad to see how people who were just teaching or learning could have their lives taken.

In my opinion I think the school handled the initial situation poorly, but I myself can't think of something they could have done to notify people immediately.  The university I attend is almost the same size, and alerting some 20,000 people effectively is very difficult.  I don't check school email before I head to school in the morning and I would have to actually go into a building to find anything out, defeating the purpose.  I'm very interested to see what sort of new security is added into Virginia Tech and other large schools due to this horrible event.

Title: Re: Virginia Tech Rampage
Post by sympathy_0 on Apr 27th, 2007, 1:05pm
It was horrible what happened, yet it could have been prevented in more than one way.

Theres a facebook group in memory of them - and there are a whole bunch of these crazy's on it.



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