Hmmmmm first report I saw said suspect was in custody, now among the
dead

Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum said the gunman was dead,
but that he didn't know how he died.

...

It beggars beleif why someone for whatever there reason would take so
many innocent young lives

i found this on yahoo. BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) - A gunman opened fire in a
dorm and classroom at Virginia Tech on Monday, killing 21 people in the
deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. The gunman was killed but it
was unclear whether 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 university reported shootings at opposite sides of the 1,050-hectare
campus, beginning at about 7:15 a.m. at West Ambler Johnston, a co-ed
residence hall that houses 895 people, and continuing about two hours
later at Norris Hall, an engineering building.


The name of the gunman was not released.


Up until Monday, the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history took
place in 1966 at the University of Texas, where Charles Whitman climbed
to the 28th-floor observation deck of a clock tower and opened fire. He
killed 16 people before he was gunned down by police. In the Columbine
High bloodbath near Littleton, Colo., in 1999, two teenagers killed 12
fellow students and a teacher before taking their own lives.


On Monday, one student was killed in a dorm and the others were killed
in the classroom, Virginia Tech Police Chief W.R. Flinchum.


After the shootings, all entrances to the campus were closed and classes
cancelled through Tuesday.


"There's just a lot of commotion. It's hard to tell exactly what's going
on," said Jason Anthony Smith, 19, who lives in the dorm where shooting
took place.


Aimee Kanode, a freshman from Martinsville, said the shooting happened
on the 4th floor of West Ambler Johnston dormitory, one floor above her
room. Kanode's resident assistant knocked on her door about 8 a.m. to
notify students to stay put.


"They had us under lockdown," Kanode said. "They temporarily lifted the
lockdown, the gunman shot again."


"We're all locked in our dorms surfing the Internet trying to figure out
what's going on," Kanode said.


Madison Van Duyne, a student who was interviewed by telephone on CNN,
said, "We are all in lockdown. Most of the students are sitting on the
floors away from the windows just trying to be as safe as possible."


It was second time in less than a year that the campus was closed
because of a shooting.


In August 2006, the opening day of classes was canceled and the campus
closed when an escaped jail inmate allegedly killed a hospital guard off
campus and fled to the Tech area. A sheriff's deputy involved in the
manhunt was killed on a trail just off campus.


The accused gunman, William Morva, faces capital murder charges.




A list of some major violent incidents at North American schools:

April.16, 2007: Gunman opens fire in a dorm and classroom at Virginia
Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Early reports say he killed 21
people and wounded another 21 before he was killed.

Oct. 2, 2006: A 32-year-old gunman enters an Amish schoolhouse in Nickel
Mines, Pa., and holds 10 girls hostage before shooting them. Five girls
are killed, and five more wounded. The gunman also kills himself.

Sept. 13, 2006: Kimveer Gill, 25, opens fire at Dawson College in
Montreal, killing one woman and injuring 20 people.

Aug. 30, 2006: 19-year-old man in Hillsborough, N.C., kills father, then
opens fire at Orange High School, wounding two students before
surrendering to police.

March 14, 2006: 14-year-old boy in Reno, Nev., bring's father's revolver
to Pine Middle School and wounds two classmates.

Jan. 13, 2006: 15-year-old boy at Milwee Middle School in Longwood,
Fla., holds class hostage at gunpoint before being fatally shot by
police. It is later learned his weapon was a pellet gun.

Nov. 8, 2005: Student at high school in Jacksboro, Tenn., shoots and
kills assistant principal. Principal and another assistant principal
wounded.

March 21, 2005: 16-year-old boy in Red Lake, Minn., fatally shoots
grandfather and grandfather's partner at home, then goes to Red Lake
High School, where he kills five students, a teacher and a security
guard before committing suicide.

May 7, 2004: Two men, 18 and 24, shoot and wound four students at high
school in Randallstown, Md.

March 30, 2004: Student at Wallace High School in Gary, Ind., shot to
death in school parking lot by classmate.

Feb. 3, 2004: 14-year-old boy in Palmetto Bay, Fla., stabs and slits
throat of 14-year-old classmate at Southwood Middle School.

Feb. 2, 2004: 19-year-old man shoots to death 17-year-old boy at Ballou
Senior High School in Washington, D.C.

Sept. 24, 2003: 15-year-old boy shoots two classmates at Rocori High
School in Cold Spring, Minn. One dies same day, other dies two weeks
later.

April 24, 2003: 14-year-old boy shoots principal to death in school
cafeteria in Red Lion, Pa., before killing himself.

March 5, 2001: 15-year-old freshman opens fire with .22-calibre pistol
at Santana High School in Santee, Calif., killing two students and
injuring 13 others.

Jan. 10, 2001: 17-year-old gunman fires shots at Hueneme High School in
Oxnard, Calif., before taking female student hostage. He is later shot
and killed by police.

May 26, 2000: 13-year-old honours student shoots and kills teacher on
last day of classes in Lake Worth, Fla.

April 20, 2000: Four students and one staff member wounded in knife
attack at Cairine Wilson High School in Orleans, Ont. Occurs on first
anniversary of Columbine massacre.

Feb. 29, 2000: Six-year-old boy shoots six-year-old girl to death in
Grade 1 classroom at Buell Elementary School in Mount Morris Township,
Mich. Because of his age, boy is not charged.

Dec. 6, 1999: 13-year-old student fires at least 15 shots at Fort Gibson
Middle School in Fort Gibson, Okla., wounding four classmates.

Nov. 19, 1999: 12-year-old boy shoots 13-year-old girl in head at school
in Deming, N.M. Girl dies next day.

May 20, 1999: 15-year-old boy opens fire at Heritage High School in
Conyers, Ga., with .357-calibre Magnum and rifle, wounding six students.

April 28, 1999: 14-year-old boy shoots two students, one fatally, at
W.R. Myers High School in Taber, Alta.

April 20, 1999: Two heavily armed teenagers rampage through Columbine
High School in Littleton, Colo., killing 12 students and one teacher
before committing suicide.

April 16, 1999: High school sophomore fires two shotgun blasts in school
hallway in Notus, Idaho. No one injured.

Feb. 8, 1999: Man fires shot at Woodland Elementary School in Verdun,
Que. No one injured.

May 21, 1998: 17-year-old boy kills parents, then goes to high school in
Springfield, Ore., on shooting rampage, killing two teens and wounding
more than 20 people.

May 19, 1998: 18-year-old honours student opens fire at high school in
Fayetteville, Tenn., killing classmate who was dating his ex-girlfriend.

April 24, 1998: 15-year-old boy opens fire at eighth-grade dance in
Edinboro, Pa., killing teacher.

March 24, 1998: Four girls and teacher shot to death and 10 people
wounded during false fire alarm at middle school in Jonesboro, Ark.,
when two boys, 11 and 13, open fire from woods.

Dec. 1, 1997: Three students die and five wounded at Heath High School
in West Paducah, Ky., after 14-year-old boy opens fire.

October 1997: 35-year-old man fatally shoots teacher at Montreal
language school for immigrants.

Oct. 1, 1997: 16-year-old boy in Pearl, Miss., shoots two students to
death and wounds seven others after stabbing his mother to death.

Feb. 19, 1997: 16-year-old boy takes shotgun and bag of shells to school
in Bethel, Alaska, killing principal and student and wounding two
others.

October 1994: Two guidance counsellors at Brockton High School in
Toronto shot and wounded by student unhappy with grades.

June 1993: Teen wounded outside Gladstone Secondary School in Vancouver
in drive-by shooting.

Aug. 24, 1992: Valery Fabrikant, professor at Concordia University in
Montreal, goes on shooting rampage at school, killing four colleagues
and wounding one.

February 1990: Jilted teenager shoots and wounds estranged girlfriend at
General Brock High School in Burlington, Ont.

December 1989: Marc Lepine, 25, shoots dead 14 women at University of
Montreal's Ecole polytechnique engineering school, then kills himself.

October 1978: 17-year-old student shoots 16-year-old to death at
Sturgeon Creek Regional Secondary School in Winnipeg.

Oct. 27, 1975: Robert Poulin, an 18-year-old militia sharpshooter,
shoots six people at Ottawa's Saint Pius X school and then kills
himself. One wounded student dies just over a month later. Poulin had
killed a girl at a youth home before he went to the school.

May 1975: Michael Slobodian, 16, kills teacher and student and wounds 13
others at Centennial Secondary School in Brampton, Ont., before turning
gun on himself.

virginia tech??? dang--that's where my ex lives--in a small town called
blacksburg which was really a friendly hip town back then--

I've been glued to my TV, this is just so awful. Dear God
why........................

I am watching,,, they say more than 30 killed, involving two different
shootings

and people think I worry too much! (where's my headslap "doh!" emoticon
when I need him????)

this may sound nutty to you guys, but i believe strongly in demonic
influence. i think that is behind a lot of things like this.

22 dead, same # or more wounded. Guy looking for his girl friend, So
sad, totally worthless actions.

New update 1:27 ct, 31 dead in this disaster

Horrible. Jeez, unfathomable. Somehow, we've got to start understanding
these kinds of incidents. WHY???? What's the motivation? I'd like to
interview those of the killers who are still alive.

All sympathies to their families and relatives, and the Virginia Tech
community. And the country, too, for this reflects on all of us....


Oceans

another horrific event of who raises these people.

Oceans i think in the majority of these incidents that the killer
actually ends up dead..But i do wonder what drives someone on a monday
like this to create so much carnage..Apparently he was searching for his
girlfriend so perhaps his motivation was simply being dumped by this
woman..Which all the same is so bizzare to take the action that he did.

I dont remember the case off hand..But i think the woman maybe still
alive and locked up..There was a song by the Boomtown Rats called I dont
like mondays which was the reason she gave for her shooting spree.

My prayers and thoughts go out to these peoples families and
friends. This world is getting so sick...

This is truly so sad to hear my prayers are with the familys that has
had to go through this tragic moment.

more info.BLACKSBURG, Va. (CP) - A gunman opened fire in a Virginia Tech
dorm and then, two hours later, in a classroom across campus Monday,
killing at least 30 people in the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S.
history, government officials said.


The gunman was killed, bringing the death toll to 31. "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."


It was not immediately clear whether the gunman was shot by police or
took his own life. His name was not released, and investigators offered
no motive for the attack. It was not known if the gunman was a student.


At least 26 people were being treated at three area hospitals for
gunshot wounds and other injuries, authorities said. Their exact
conditions were not disclosed, but at least one was sent to a trauma
centre and six were in surgery, authorities said.


The shootings spread panic and confusion on campus, with students
complaining that the university did not warn them about the first burst
of gunfire until more than two hours later.


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 massacre took place at opposite sides of the 1,050-hectare campus,
beginning at about 7:15 a.m. at West Ambler Johnston, a co-ed dormitory
that houses 895 people, and continuing at least two hours later at
Norris Hall, an engineering building about a kilometre away, authorities
said.


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


A Canadian student at Virginia Tech said in an interview he hadn't moved
from his dorm room since the shooting rampage began.


Yoann Re, 18, said he saw police officers yelling at students who were
walking around one of the dorms where the shootings took place, telling
them to run as fast as they could to a nearby building.


Re, a tennis player from Quebec, said police ordered students to stay in
their rooms, away from windows, and lock their doors.


Some students bitterly questioned why the gunman was able to strike a
second time, two hours after the bloodshed began.


"What happened today this was ridiculous. And I don't know what happened
or what was going through this guy's mind," student Jason Piatt told
CNN.


"But I'm pretty outraged and I'll say on the record I'm pretty outraged
that someone died in a shooting in a dorm at 7 o'clock in the morning
and the first e-mail about it - no mention of locking down campus, no
mention of cancelling classes - they just mention that they're
investigating a shooting two hours later at 9:22."


He added: "That's pretty ridiculous and meanwhile, while they're sending
out that e-mail, 22 more people got killed."


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


Until Monday, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history was in
Killeen, Texas, in 1991, when George Hennard drove his pickup into a
Luby's Cafeteria and shot 23 people to death, then himself.

The massacre Monday took place almost eight years to the day after the
Columbine High bloodbath near Littleton, Colo. On April 20, 1999, two
teenagers killed 12 fellow students and a teacher before taking their
own lives.

Previously, the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history was a rampage
that took place in 1966 at the University of Texas at Austin, where
Charles Whitman climbed the clock tower and opened fire with a rifle
from the 28th-floor observation deck. He killed 16 people before he was
shot to death by police.

Founded in 1872, Virginia Tech is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of
southwestern Virginia, about 260 kilometres west of Richmond. With more
than 25,000 full-time students, it has the state's largest full-time
student population. The school is best known for its engineering school
and its powerhouse Hokies football team.

The rampage took place on a brisk spring day, with snow flurries
swirling around the campus. The campus is centred around the Drill
Field, a grassy field where military cadets - who now represent a
fraction of the student body - once practised. The dorm and the
classroom building are on opposites sides of the Drill Field.

A gasp could be heard at a campus news conference when Virginia Tech
Police Chief W.R. Flinchum said at least 20 people had been killed.
Previously, only one person was thought to have been killed.

Investigators from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives began marking and recovering the large number of shell
casings and will trace the weapon used, authorities said.

A White House spokesman said U.S. President George W. Bush was horrified
by the rampage and offered his prayers to the victims and the people of
Virginia.

"The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms,
but that all laws must be followed," spokeswoman Dana Perino said

After the shootings, all entrances to the campus were closed, and
classes were cancelled through Tuesday. The university set up a meeting
place for families to reunite with their children. It also made
counsellors available and planned an assembly for Tuesday at the
basketball arena.

Aimee Kanode, a freshman from Martinsville, said the shooting happened
on the fourth floor of West Ambler Johnston dormitory, one floor above
her room. Kanode's resident assistant knocked on her door about 8 a.m.
to notify students to stay put.

"They had us under lockdown," Kanode said. "They temporarily lifted the
lockdown, the gunman shot again."

"We're all locked in our dorms surfing the Internet trying to figure out
what's going on," Kanode said.

Maurice Hiller, 21, a mechanical engineering student from Richmond, saw
police and SWAT team members with guns drawn going toward Norris Hall.
"This is something just totally beyond anybody's expectations," he said.

Police said there had been bomb threats on campus over the past two
weeks but they have not determined a link to the shootings.

It was second time in less than a year that the campus was closed
because of a shooting.

Last August, the opening day of classes was cancelled and the campus
closed when an escaped jail inmate allegedly killed a hospital guard off
campus and fled to the Tech area. A sheriff's deputy involved in the
manhunt was killed on a trail just off campus. The accused gunman,
William Morva, faces capital murder charges .

Now it's 31 who are dead makes even fear of enrolling on a college
campus when I start law school:(

now report 33 are dead Lord help us:(

i heard 32 dead and 15 injured

Wow that honestly has me crying, until just now I had no idea any of it
was going on. It's crazy because I was at work and you'd think I
would've heard. Wow. There are no other words right now.