Waldo

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WASHINGTON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A total of 33 people, including the gunman, were killed in the shooting rampage took place in Virginia Tech, university president Charles Steger said at a press conference on Monday.

"It is now confirmed that we have 31 deaths from Norris Hall, including the gunman .... There are two confirmed deaths from the shooting in Ambler Johnston Dormitory," Steger said at a news conference held at Blacksburg, Virginia where the university is located.

The identity of the gunman was not known yet because he did not carry any ID, Steger said.

More information about the shooting accident is expected Tuesday as investigation goes on, Steger said.

Moreover, the gunman killed himself at the shooting rampage, university police chief Wendell Flinchum said. "The gunman took his own life," he said.

Earlier, President George W. Bush, in a brief statement at the White House, said he was "shocked and saddened" at the shooting took place at the Virginia Tech.

Bush said it appeared that more than 30 people had been killed and many more wounded in the shooting rampage and promised his administration's full effort in investigating the shooting.

The shooting rampage is the deadliest in the campus shooting in the U.S. history.

"Schools should be places of safety and sanctuary and learning, when that sanctuary is violated the impact is felt in every American classroom and every American community," Bush said. "Today our nation grieves with those who have lost loved ones at Virginia Tech."

White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino has said that Bush was "horrified" by the shooting.


Police officer Skip Vaughn guards the perimeter of the Virginia Tech campus as students evacuate after a gunman shot dozens of people on the university campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, April 16, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
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"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," Perino said in a statement. "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," the statement added.

It is not immediately known if there is any Chinese students among the killed or wounded. U.S. media said there are a total of over 2,000 international students in the Virginia Tech and about half are from India and China.

In addition to those killed, U.S. media said 29 others were wounded in the shooting rampage.

Moreover, the police is investigating the motive of the gunman. It is not immediately known if the gunman is a student.

The gunman opened fire in a dormitory and a class room at Virginia Tech University during a two-hour span, university police chief Wendell Flinchum said.

"The university was struck today with a tragedy of monumental proportions. There was two shootings on campus. In each case, there were fatalities," Steger said in a statement posted on the official website of Virginia Tech.

"The university is shocked and horrified that this would befall our campus," he said.

The university, situated in Blacksburg, southwest Virginia, will be closed through Tuesday and faculty and staff members were asked to go home effective immediately after the incident.

Previously, the deadliest campus shooting in the country took place in 1966 at the University of Texas at Austin, in which 17 people, including the gunman, were killed.

Founded in 1872, the state university has more than 25,000 full-time students. The school is best known for its engineering school and its powerhouse football team.

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both my car and my bike can ride on the rear wheel[s]
"Remember one thing, no matter how pretty she is, someone, somewhere, is tired of HER SHIT"

Waldo

Jamal Albarghouti guy who shot the video on his phone

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both my car and my bike can ride on the rear wheel[s]
"Remember one thing, no matter how pretty she is, someone, somewhere, is tired of HER SHIT"

Waldo

gunmans name will be nice to know

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both my car and my bike can ride on the rear wheel[s]
"Remember one thing, no matter how pretty she is, someone, somewhere, is tired of HER SHIT"

tmcsaint72

with all the post about this in BOTH i almost forgot how serious it was...anyway i have to blame security and area police for the atleast the second shooting...they had the whole school on lock down for two hours after the gun man opened fire in the dorm and he still got away to the other side of campus...something just doesnt sound right about the whole one gunman thing

Viper_GTS

I am a student at VT. The school wasn't on lock down until after the second shooting. I was in the middle of the drillfield about 100 yards from the building where the second shooting took place. I never knew about the first shooting and was on my way to class when I heard cops yelling and gunshots firing, followed by around 50 cop cars swarming all over. It was the most terrifying thing that I have ever been through. I pray for all the families that are less fortunate then mine, and hope that all the wounded make a full recovery.

Moto Nhoj

I wish to offer my sympathy and support for everyone whose friends and loved ones were injured at the horrific event today at Virginia Tech.

God bless you and keep you through this awful time.

John W Charpentier Jr
Woonsocket, RI

GhostWriter13

My condolences to the families of the victims of this horrific day. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

I hope all of you will bear with me while I vent about something that's been bugging me for some time:

I'm truly sick and tired of hearing about all of the school shootings that have come to characterize our society today. Let me preface my rant by saying that I am not one of those people who blames video games and movies for causing kids to go out and kill puppies and such...people who do stuff like that were messed up way before they picked up a game controller or rented an 'R' movie from Blockbuster.

What I want to rant about is the role that the news media play in tragedies like the Virginia Tech shootings. I feel that it is for everyone's best interest that the media downplay tragic events like this. While I know it is a very noteworthy story, I truly feel that the media is doing more harm than good when they devote the entire day to talking about the tragedy. The gunman(men?) is almost elevated to some sort of sick "hero" figure in the minds of other lost souls. His name and image are splashed all over the television and newspapers for all to see, almost glamorizing his actions. I dare say that the next school shooting perpetrator is closely watching the events as reported by the news media outlets, and thinking to himself "they haven't seen anything yet."

I think it's time to hold the media at least somewhat responsible for tragedies like this.

tuathal

Police identified Cho Seung-Hui - a 23-year-old "loner" from South Korea who was studying for an English major and was a legal US resident, as the shooter at Virginia Tech University

habjad

my unreserved sympathy and support for the families and friends and staff

Waldo

(CBS/AP) A day after the deadliest shooting in U.S. history, the campus of Virginia Tech came together to remember the victims and heal the wounds created by Monday's massacre.

On Tuesday afternoon, thousands of people gathered in the Virginia Tech basketball arena, and when it filled up, thousands more filed into the football stadium, for a memorial service for the victims.

"We have come together today to remember the cherished and innocent members of the Virginia Tech family whose lives were so abruptly ended in the senseless act," said Zenobia Hikes, vice president of student affairs.

"We will eventually recover, but we will never, ever forget."

President George W. Bush was in attendance and offered his sympathies to the campus. "On this terrible day of mourning it's hard to imagine a time will come when life at Virginia Tech will return to normal," Mr. Bush said. "But such a day will come."

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine applauded Virginia Tech students for the unity they displayed throughout Monday's chaos.

"Before it was about who was to blame or what could have been done different, it was about how do we take care of each other," Kaine said.

Virginia Tech President Charles Steger received a 30-second standing ovation, despite bitter complaints from parents and students that the university should have locked down the campus immediately after the first burst of gunfire. Steger expressed hope that "we will awaken from this horrible nightmare."

Meanwhile, a chilling portrait of the gunman began to emerge.

Police identified Cho Seung-Hui as the shooter who carried out the massacre that left 33 people dead, including himself. He was an English major whose creative writing was so disturbing that he was referred to the school's counseling service.

"He was a loner, and we're having difficulty finding information about him," school spokesman Larry Hincker said.

Police and university officials still offered no clues as to exactly what set off Cho, a 23-year-old senior, on the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history.

News reports said that he may have been taking medication for depression, that he was becoming increasingly violent and erratic, and that he left a note in his dorm in which he railed against "rich kids," "debauchery" and "deceitful charlatans" on campus.

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Click here to see a list of the victims.

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Cho arrived in the United States as boy from South Korea in 1992 and was raised in suburban Washington, D.C., officials said. He was living on campus in a different dorm from the one where Monday's bloodbath began.

Professor Carolyn Rude, chairwoman of the university's English department, said she did not personally know the gunman. But she said she spoke with Lucinda Roy, the department's director of creative writing, who had Cho in one of her classes and described him as "troubled."

"There was some concern about him," Rude said. "Sometimes, in creative writing, people reveal things and you never know if it's creative or if they're describing things, if they're imagining things or just how real it might be. But we're all alert to not ignore things like this."

She said Cho was referred to the counseling service, but she said she did not know when, or what the outcome was. Rude refused to release any of his writings or his grades, citing privacy laws.

Receipts found in the gunman's backpack allowed authorities to trace one of the two handguns used in the shootings, though the serial numbers for both weapons were wiped clean, CBS News reports. Cho carried a 9 mm handgun and a 22 mm handgun during the shootings, police said.

One of the guns used in the massacre, the 9 mm semi-automatic Glock 19, was purchased brand new at a Roanoke, Va. gun shop, Roanoke Firearms, 36 days ago, CBS News has learned.

According to store owner John Markell, Cho paid roughly $570 on his credit card for the gun and a box of 50 rounds of ammunition used primarily for target practice.

Cho killed at least 30 people locked in a classroom.

Ballistics tests found that one of the guns used in that attack was also used in a shooting two hours earlier at a dorm that left two people dead, Virginia State Police said.

Col. Steve Flaherty, superintendent of the Virginia State Police, said it was reasonable to assume that Cho was the shooter in both attacks but that link was not yet definitive.

"There's no evidence of any accomplice at either event, but we're exploring the possibility," he said.

A note was found in Cho's dorm room, the Chicago Tribune reported, which included a list of grievances and rantings against "debauchery" on campus.

The gunman's furious shooting rampage Monday at Virginia Tech has left the school living a nightmare — shocked and horrified over the deaths of 32 students and teachers and wondering how such a massacre could occur.

Twelve people remained hospitalized in stable condition, a Virginia hospital spokesman said Tuesday.

All classes for the remainder of the week have been canceled, Virginia Tech President Charles Steger said.

Steger spent Tuesday morning defending the delay in warning students about the gunman. Some students said their first warning came more than two hours after the first shooting, in an e-mail at 9:26 a.m. By then the second shooting had begun.

"I can understand the anger and the rage," Steger told CBS' The Early Show. But Steger added bluntly, "We believe we have acted appropriately."

Some students bitterly complained they got no warning from the university until an e-mail that arrived more than two hours after the first shots.

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Read the e-mail alerts sent to students and staff
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The e-mail had few details. It read: “A shooting incident occurred at West Amber Johnston earlier this morning. Police are on the scene and are investigating.” The message warned students to be cautious and contact police about anything suspicious.

"I think the university has blood on their hands because of their lack of action after the first incident," said Billy Bason, 18, who lives on the seventh floor of the dorm.

Student Maurice Hiller said he went to a 9 a.m. class two buildings away from the engineering building, and no warnings were coming over the outdoor public address system on campus at the time.

Everett Good, junior, said of the lack of warning: “I'm trying to figure that out. Someone's head is definitely going to roll over that.”

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both my car and my bike can ride on the rear wheel[s]
"Remember one thing, no matter how pretty she is, someone, somewhere, is tired of HER SHIT"

Green Eyes

It's mere speculation, but there were some people saying that the gunman was looking for his girlfriend.

This is truly a shame. My heart goes out to those involved.

durden

my god this is a horrible event. i have been watching and listening since this started early yesterday. this is just a horrible thing to happen.

my thought, prayers, and condolences go out to all those involved.

Car Enthusiast

you can't blame VT for the second shooting for not doing "more" after the first shooting happened

justsgtpat

I hope that this opens our collective eyes to what we are allowing to happen in our society these days. Who knows all that we lost in these killings. It is obvious we lost innocent lives, but what of the future? Is the cure for cancer lost with one of these lives? Is a future President? Or a great musician? Who knows the true impact of this?

It is my great sorrow to extend my prayers for all those who were lost on this black day. May God bless them and hold them close.