(CNN) -- A lone gunman is dead after police said he killed at least 21 people Monday during shootings in a dorm and a classroom at Virginia Tech -- the deadliest school attack in U.S. history.
Government officials told The Associated Press that the death toll had grown to 31, including the gunman. CNN is working to confirm the report.
"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 foundVideo)
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 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 sceneVideo)
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 bangsVideo)
"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.
The university has scheduled a convocation for 2 p.m. ET Tuesday.
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.
Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is terrible. My heart goes out to those affected by this senseless tragedy. After so many mass shootings, particularly at schools, I will never be able to understand why someone would do something like this.
Also, I'm SICK of these ***holes killing themselves when they're done slaughtering innocent people. I want them to face the justice they deserve, along with facing the families of the people they murdered. If they ultimately want to kill themselves, fine, go for it. But for some reason, these ***ing pieces of **** decide to take innocent people with them.
ETA: The AP is reporting 32 dead.
Last edited by StewartLove : 04-16-2007 at 04:52 PM.
Ok, here's something I don't understand....I've heard reports that the first shooting was at a dorm around 7:30am, then he started shooting AGAIN at around 9:30am? Why wasn't the school put on lock down? Why did classes go on as scheduled? That makes absolutely no sense. A student being interviewed said he received an email regarding the first incident, just sort of as a 'BEWARE' kind of thing.
Who in their right mind would allow things to continue as usual? You mean to tell me that they would continue on as planned, KNOWING someone had been shot and the shooter hadn't been caught? Anyone have some more info on this?
Last edited by StewartLove : 04-16-2007 at 05:18 PM.
They're grilling the crap out of those speaking at the press conference. Whoever made the decision to NOT close the campus should (and probably will) lose their job(s). The "we already had thousands of students en route, what were we going to do with them?" response I've heard is not sitting well with me AT ALL. I don't give a damn HOW MANY people were on their way to campus after the first incident, that campus should have been SHUT DOWN. I'm not familiar with that campus, but if it's anything like the numerous universities I've been to, there aren't THAT many streets leading directly into campus. Shut it down, put police on EVERY street corner entering the school, and divert those students coming to class elsewhere.
The person speaking is saying essentially that it takes time to make the decision, shut it down, etc. Sure it does, but those 2 incidents were 2 HOURS apart. At least make the effort to cancel classes after the 1st shooting when the gunman was KNOWN TO BE LOOSE. They said they believed he had already left campus, and they believed he was on his way out of state.....SO WHAT? A campus with 26,000+ students is pretty large. If you can't say INDEFINITELY where the shooter is, it's best to shut the place down. You don't need a set procedure to tell you that, it's COMMON ****ING SENSE. What the hell were these people thinking?
They're grilling the crap out of those speaking at the press conference. Whoever made the decision to NOT close the campus should (and probably will) lose their job(s). The "we already had thousands of students en route, what were we going to do with them?" response I've heard is not sitting well with me AT ALL. I don't give a damn HOW MANY people were on their way to campus after the first incident, that campus should have been SHUT DOWN. I'm not familiar with that campus, but if it's anything like the numerous universities I've been to, there aren't THAT many streets leading directly into campus. Shut it down, put police on EVERY street corner entering the school, and divert those students coming to class elsewhere.
The person speaking is saying essentially that it takes time to make the decision, shut it down, etc. Sure it does, but those 2 incidents were 2 HOURS apart. At least make the effort to cancel classes after the 1st shooting when the gunman was KNOWN TO BE LOOSE. They said they believed he had already left campus, and they believed he was on his way out of state.....SO WHAT? A campus with 26,000+ students is pretty large. If you can't say INDEFINITELY where the shooter is, it's best to shut the place down. You don't need a set procedure to tell you that, it's COMMON ****ING SENSE. What the hell were these people thinking?
that is what happens when liberals are in charge...
__________________ Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports... the rest are just games........ Earnest Hemmingway
that is what happens when liberals are in charge...
Heh, I consider myself a liberal for the most part, but not all of us are that stupid bigE! :P One guy actually said "we did the best we could with the information we had." Right, you mean to tell me the BEST you could do was lock the campus down AFTER the shooter began shooting people a SECOND time?! I don't care that they thought it was an isolated incident, you just don't take that chance.
I should note in regards to being a liberal, that doesn't apply to the far left stance regarding gun control. I'm all about the 2nd Amendment, and I DARE those "we are the world" liberals to come and try to disarm me. I'm noting this because I've already seen this incident turn into a "ban guns" debate on a couple of boards I frequent.
Heh, I consider myself a liberal for the most part, but not all of us are that stupid bigE! :P One guy actually said "we did the best we could with the information we had." Right, you mean to tell me the BEST you could do was lock the campus down AFTER the shooter began shooting people a SECOND time?! I don't care that they thought it was an isolated incident, you just don't take that chance.
I should note in regards to being a liberal, that doesn't apply to the far left stance regarding gun control. I'm all about the 2nd Amendment, and I DARE those "we are the world" liberals to come and try to disarm me. I'm noting this because I've already seen this incident turn into a "ban guns" debate on a couple of boards I frequent.
just know you can have my gun when ya pry it from my cold dead fingers stewie!.... I know what ya meant... you would have thought someone would have done something....I guess the intelligent students did not know how to act... when I was on campus... we were lined up outside this bar... well these 2 chicks came running up... bumped into a bunch of people... they were being chased by a dude with a golf club.... dunno what they did .... but even though I lost my place in line I still tackled the dude and held him down til the cops got there....not a gun, but still.... you would think someone would have acted!....campus security carries guns.
__________________ Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports... the rest are just games........ Earnest Hemmingway
Yup, I was thinking the same thing. That's not to say I blame any of these students at all (I know you're not either), I would just think someone would've tackled the guy, bum rushed him, something. That someone would have to be a much braver person than myself. I've never been in a similar situation, so I can't say for sure what I would/wouldn't do, but I think I'd probably hide or be one of the people that jumped out of windows. I hate to say it, but when unarmed, faced with an armed man on a killing spree, my instinct would more than likely tell me to just hide and hope that my number's not up.
Now, armed is totally different. Which leads me to another issue....should campuses be gun free? I know, it sounds like a no-brainer, but in the grand scheme of things, should teachers/professors be allowed to bring guns with them? I'd initially say no, it's far too risky, but looking at it right now (especially on a college campus where ANYONE can come in and out with ease), I'm starting to think it might not be too far fetched. I dunno, I'm on the fence about it, but I know I'd feel safer knowing my professor was armed. That's just me.
I just can't understand why this kind of thing keeps happening. Last night in my son's apartment complex a man was shot 4 times once in the head he is in critical condition. what the hell is wrong with these people. Aren't enough of our guys over seas fighting to keep us from this kinda thing and our own people our killing our kids!!!!!!!
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This is terrible. My heart goes out to those affected by this senseless tragedy. After so many mass shootings, particularly at schools, I will never be able to understand why someone would do something like this. 
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