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Students killed at Virginia Tech!


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The Virginia Tech police chief said at least 20 people were killed in twin shootings on the Blacksburg campus Monday morning.

"Some victims were shot in a classroom," Chief Wendell Flinchum said, adding that the gunman was dead.

"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 attacks mark the worst school shooting incident since 1999 when Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris killed 12 students and a teacher before killing themselves at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.

A hospital spokeswoman told The Associated Press that 17 Virginia Tech students were being treated for gunshot wounds and other injuries.

Sharon Honaker at the Carilion New River Valley Medical Center told CNN that four patients had been transported there, one in critical condition.

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. (Watch police, ambulances hustle to the scene )

The first reported shooting occurred at West Ambler Johnston Hall, a co-ed 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.

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 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 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.

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

"A gunman is loose on campus. Stay in buildings until further notice. Stay away from all windows," read a warning from the university.

"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.

This is just horrible. What is happening with our world?

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Unfortuantly, this is happening more and more (though not on this scale). So much so that it doesn't always make the headlines. That's another point. I realize that at this early stage, the news must be reported, but many of the people that perpetrate these horrible crimes commit them for the publicity. Or at least revel in it (or the thought of it).

Regardless, it's a senseless, horrible thing. I can't even say anything more than it is so very sad.

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What should be banned is the name of the idiot who did this thing. I recall the Columbine guys saying, "They'll make a movie about us someday!" and sure enough ....

It always galls me how the reporting is sometimes very much like posting the standings of sports teams. Concentrate reporting on the lives of the victims and their grieving families, not the twisted perps.

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As long as getting guns in the US is as easy as buying a pack of gum this kind of tragedy will occur.

That´s something I will never understand. Dope and prostitution are illegal but some crazy bleephole can get a gun just as easy as that... :P

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I don't know what the government can do. Wherever there's crazy people, there will be death, guns or no. The real question is what the hell were the police doing after the first murder? I don't remember being this shocked about something like this since Columbine.

I'm talking about gun laws that are a LOT stricter. Sure, there will be death without guns too, but something like this shooting could not happen. Or at least not to this extent.

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I don't understand what makes someone do this...I really don't. It's sick, and it's disturbing.

I also agree that the media blitz is over the top. If you watch the news long enough, you will be afraid to leave your home for fear of random shootings, bird flu, terrorists, etc.

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I agree Jenny. The news does make a lot of people terrified with their coverage. This tragedy is monumental and events like this make you realize that yes our world is not 100% safe, but you can't isolate yourself and your family. I wish we did have an answer on how to stop tragedies like this from happening again.

Today is one day I don't mind being told what to play. Our corporate office sent a list of songs that we are not to play due to the shootings.

Take a moment and tell the people you love just how much today and everyday.

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Certainly a horror , and recalling my own student days and the troubles of the odd types in my dormitory and on campus -just a kiss away , often .

Just watching CNN now , though , and what strikes me as absurd is the reporting of Korean people , both in the US and , more oddly , in Korea feeling they need to conduct some kind of ceremonies and or apologies and express regret on behalf of their country for the shame inflicted by one of their countrymen . While it seems a nice and decent thing to do , any right thinking American should say ' hey -why the apology from YOU ' ? CNN reporters , however , gather this information and give the impression that this is proper and due . Mourning out of shared grief is one thing ; doing so out of a fear of some concern over retribution is another that is both calculating and unnecessary .

My worry is that they feel that there will be payback either through action or attitude towards themselves and that they need to do this in order to try to protect themselves somehow . Surely this isn't the case , and they haven't a thing to worry about -right ?! CNN needs a good slap in the face !

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My worry is that they feel that there will be payback either through action or attitude towards themselves and that they need to do this in order to try to protect themselves somehow . Surely this isn't the case , and they haven't a thing to worry about -right ?! CNN needs a good slap in the face !

I think the Korean response is affected by an incident a couple of years ago in Korea when two little girls were killed by a US army vehicle (accidentally) and hundreds of thousands took to the streets in Korea to protest at the 'evil' US army....I think they fear that the US have an even better excuse to protest back now.

There have been regular protests against the laws governing their presence since a US court martial last year acquitted two US soldiers over another road accident.

In that incident, two teenage South Korean girls were killed by a US armoured vehicle. The vehicle's driver and navigator were found not guilty of negligent homicide.

Anger over the ruling sparked a wave of anti-US protests and calls for the Status of Forces Agreement which governs the US presence to be renegotiated.

Just my theory.

:(

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Ted Nugent Wants More Guns on Virginia Tech Campus

"These gun free zones are literally a welcome mat for monsters to do with us as they please..."

WOAI - San Antonio

Rocker and NRA (National Rifle Association) board member Ted Nugent says the problem at Virginia Tech University, where 33 people were killed Monday, was not too many guns, it was too few.

Nugent says, "These gun free zones are literally a welcome mat for monsters to do with us as they please knowing that we're unarmed."

Nugent says if parents want to prevent cases like this from happening again, they need to keep an eye on what he called "slovenly zombies," like the Virginia Tech gunman and notify authorities.

"If I want to send out a message across America...don't worry about hurting feelings...it doesn't work! You either bend over and die or you shoot the son of a bit** and bring some justice to the not-so-mean streets of this country."

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