04-16-2007, 11:53 AM
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At least 22 people were killed Monday morning at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Va., according to campus police.
Reports citing school officials initially said only one person was killed and another wounded inside the West Ambler Johnston dormitory, a residence housing more than 800 students. One person was arrested, according to the school's website.
But police held a news conference shortly after noon and said at least 22 people had been confirmed dead, including a gunman.
Police were searching the campus for a second shooter, after reports said another shooting had also taken place at a different residence at the opposite end of the campus.
"I don't want to start any [rumours] here, but it seems difficult for one person to cover that much ground, it's a pretty large campus here," Robert Bowman, an editor at the Collegiate Times student newspaper told CBC News.
Liz Hart, a member of the student union, told the CBC that the second shooting seemed to "indicate it is a group effort."
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"Right now I'm online with students who are actually on campus," Hart said. "There are ambulances going past very, very frequently and there are police officers standing guard at every building," she said.
TV images showed Virginia police officers hunkered behind trees with their guns drawn.
'Loud banging,' screams heard
Calling from campus, a junior student named Josh told the WDBJ news station in Virginia he was inside Norris Hall when a gunman opened fire.
"We heard some loud banging, we weren't sure if it was construction or not, then we heard some screaming," he said.
"It didn't stop for at least two or three minutes," the student said, adding "at least 30 to 40 big shots" were fired.
"We all jumped out the window," he said. The students were on the second floor of the building at the time and at least one person suffered injuries jumping from a window, an editor at the campus paper told CBC News.
Students told to stay inside residences
Meanwhile, the school, better known as Virginia Tech, has told students to remain inside their residences.
"Stay inside your building, away from windows,'' the school's website warned.
All Monday classes have been cancelled.
It is the second time in less than a year Virginia Tech has ordered an emergency closure of the campus because of a shooting.
In August 2006, the opening day of classes was cancelled and the campus closed when an escaped jail inmate killed a hospital guard and a sheriff's deputy involved in a massive manhunt just off the campus.
The campus has 26,000 students.
At least 22 people were killed Monday morning at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Va., according to campus police.
Reports citing school officials initially said only one person was killed and another wounded inside the West Ambler Johnston dormitory, a residence housing more than 800 students. One person was arrested, according to the school's website.
But police held a news conference shortly after noon and said at least 22 people had been confirmed dead, including a gunman.
Police were searching the campus for a second shooter, after reports said another shooting had also taken place at a different residence at the opposite end of the campus.
"I don't want to start any [rumours] here, but it seems difficult for one person to cover that much ground, it's a pretty large campus here," Robert Bowman, an editor at the Collegiate Times student newspaper told CBC News.
Liz Hart, a member of the student union, told the CBC that the second shooting seemed to "indicate it is a group effort."
Continue Article
"Right now I'm online with students who are actually on campus," Hart said. "There are ambulances going past very, very frequently and there are police officers standing guard at every building," she said.
TV images showed Virginia police officers hunkered behind trees with their guns drawn.
'Loud banging,' screams heard
Calling from campus, a junior student named Josh told the WDBJ news station in Virginia he was inside Norris Hall when a gunman opened fire.
"We heard some loud banging, we weren't sure if it was construction or not, then we heard some screaming," he said.
"It didn't stop for at least two or three minutes," the student said, adding "at least 30 to 40 big shots" were fired.
"We all jumped out the window," he said. The students were on the second floor of the building at the time and at least one person suffered injuries jumping from a window, an editor at the campus paper told CBC News.
Students told to stay inside residences
Meanwhile, the school, better known as Virginia Tech, has told students to remain inside their residences.
"Stay inside your building, away from windows,'' the school's website warned.
All Monday classes have been cancelled.
It is the second time in less than a year Virginia Tech has ordered an emergency closure of the campus because of a shooting.
In August 2006, the opening day of classes was cancelled and the campus closed when an escaped jail inmate killed a hospital guard and a sheriff's deputy involved in a massive manhunt just off the campus.
The campus has 26,000 students.
