Virginia Tech Shooting: Death Toll at 31 - Thoughts and Prayers for Victims

[KimmyDarling]

Current death toll is 31. Please keep everyone involved in your thoughts and/or prayers. It's just horrible.

 

[jenniferknapp]

Oh my goodness, I had no idea this happened.....today?

 

[KimmyDarling]

A short time ago, yes.Here's a link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18134671/

 

[DMB75]

Here's another link to it.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,266310,00.html

This is so sad. It's the biggest shooting in US History. My prayers go out to the family and friends.

 

[janetupnorth]

Oh my! Praying for that too!

 

[DebbieJ]

oh my! how horrible!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Oh, that is just horrific! Praying for everyone involved!

 

[luvs2sellit]

It is horrible. I just can't imagine one guy could do all this without being stopped. There was a count I think of another 17 injured. Can you imagine all that gun fire going on in a dorm or class. I can't imagine what all those parents are going through. What a horrible time. Been praying all morning.

 

[rennea]

I was so stunned when I turned on the TV this morning. Can't even begin to imagine. Horrible!

 

[KimmyDarling]

One student said the phones had been jammed all morning, and that the internet connections are spotty, at best. Not knowing that all of their friends are okay would be so hard. They're all going to need some stress counseling, for sure. And as soon as possible.

 

[pcjulie]

My brother-in-law graduated from VT about 4 years ago with an engineering degree. Everytime I read something about the shooting I get chills!

 

[jenniferknapp]

I work at a college. We recently had a student found dead in her dorm room, due to natural causes... but that was hard enough for our students and employees to not know who that one person was (while they weren't releasing the name) ....I can't imagine going through this disaster. And especially to lose a child while being away from home. Who knows how long it has been since their family had seen them...

 

[chefbritt]

This is so awful. Being a college student myself, I can't imagine experiencing something like this on my campus. I actually have two close friends at Virginia Tech. My best friend's boyfriend is in the engineering department there. I called her the second I heard, and thank goodness he wasn't there, he was on his way in when it happened. They haven't released names yet, so he doesn't know which of his friends were there and how many people he knows were hurt. I can't even imagine what he's going through right now. So yes, definitely keep all of the students and staff there in your prayers!

 

[janetupnorth]

What is worse is the delay between the first shootings and any notification - no lock down no anything!

 

[luvs2sellit]

This was on the Atlanta news. So sad.


VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTING



Email From Virginia Tech

POSTED: 2:27 pm EDT April 16, 2007
UPDATED: 3:30 pm EDT April 16, 2007

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- I am not sure how to respond to this.

I am so shocked that I can’t even cry, I’ve just been sitting in front of the television mortified.

People from home have called, I’ve been calling all of my friends here to make sure they are ok. I haven’t heard anyone that I know has been hurt, but when 22 people have been killed I feel that I am bound to know someone.

I don’t know when names will be released but I am hoping and praying that I will not know any names on that list. Even so, this is tragic. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the situation, since I live off campus and haven’t left my apartment.

My only real check with reality has been talking with a friend. She is a freshman and lives in West AJ and was awakened by the gun shots this morning.

I’ve been hearing rumors that the shooter was in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend and was physically abusing her. The RA allegedly stepped in and then the gunman shot her and his girlfriend, and then proceeded to go on a killing spree ending in taking his own life. I’m not sure if this is what happened, but something had to have struck a chord in this person to open fire in a classroom. It seems so unnecessary to take the lives of students, the majority he could not have known.

Watching the White House give a reaction to something that occurred less than 5 minutes from my home is surreal. At first, when I woke up I wasn’t very concerned, because we have had bomb threats for the past two weeks and the incident earlier this year was a very confined event.

When I realized that the shooting occurred within West AJ, I immediately called my friend who lives on the 5th floor, a floor above the first shooting and another friend who has been locked inside a windowless room in another academic building. When she answered I thanked god that she was still alive, but the sound of her voice was terrifying for me.

I took on a mother-like instinct and immediately found out what had been going on over there and talked to her while she was told over the loudspeaker to close and lock windows and get down on the floor. Cell phone reception has been off and on, so we have been talking over instant messenger for the past 3 hours.

The police are now beginning to move the students in the dorms to the Inn at Virginia Tech, and I am picking my friend up as soon as possible. She is gong to sleep at my apartment for the rest of the week so I can make sure she is ok. I can’t imagine how she feels after going through something like this.

At one point, she was telling me about an incident on the tennis courts across Washington Sreet that has not been reported on the news.

Here's how our Instant Message conversation went. My messages are in bold print.

blair im trying to call you blair

i wish i could come get you

come get me im freaking out they are at the tennis courts 7 people have died blair i am watching them crawl on the ground

are the police over there!!!

they have someone on the tennis courts yes blair they are going to kill this shooter i can see this

omg they have only released that one person has died

blair do u see the shooter one is on the tennis courts!

omg. how do u know seven people have died

they just announced it on the local news

omg

blair they are in the tennic courts blair i don't want to sleep here tonight

ok if i can come get you i will as soon as they let you leave

omg thank you soo much

of course i cant believe this is happening

are they saying anything about the tennis courts

nothing like this has ever happened

omg blair 7 people are confirmed dead

no

is cae ok?

im calling her now

ok

shes ok

ok blair how many shooters are there there is one over here and they caught one

the one from the tennis courts?

no they are still over here surrounding everything

are the police shooting

no they are on the ground

do u see the shooter

blair omg they just got over the loud speaker

wat did they say

and said please, residents of EAJ close the windows and close your blinds they are shooting

get on the floor

For now, there isn’t much I can say, but that everyone here is thinking of those who went through this tragedy and our thoughts go out to the victims and their families. I have been online and on the phone all morning, talking to family, friends from home, and making sure to call everyone I can as to make sure they are ok. All we can do now is wait for the worst: the news of those killed and injured.

To say that this incident is worse than Columbine is a stone cold fact that chills my soul.

Copyright 2007 by WSBTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

[ivykeep]

I know alot of Tech Alumni, including my brother and his wife's brother and some other close family friends. (Did the hokie pokie at his wedding) Even without knowing anyone currently attending (that I know of), it is really upsetting to all of them. I didn't attend, yet I'm in tears over it.

 

[ivykeep]

What is worse is the delay between the first shootings and any notification - no lock down no anything!

They don't think the two shootings are related (at least according to my local TV news), so if they had the first shooter (either dead or in custody), they wouldn't lock down the campus if they thought it was all finished. Now they are locked down because they are checking for additional shooters.

 

[KimmyDarling]

I haven't heard anyone at all say that they think it might have been two different shooters. I also think that if they'd have apprehended the shooter after the first round, they would have already announced it, since the parents are freaking out about the fact that they didn't lock down (with good reason to do so).

 

[luvs2sellit]

I would think protocol would be lock down until you 100% sure.

 

[KimmyDarling]

I agree, Laura. I can't imagine what on earth would have made them think the scene had been contained at the dorm, given that they didn't find a gunman or a weapon.I fear that was a grave misstep on their part.

 

[jenniferp417]

I returned from a funeral for a young husband and father who died in a tragic accident, to hear news of this.I'm heartbroken for all the lost and damaged lives.

 

[PampMomof3]

It is a truly unimaginable event. I didn't even know about this until I logged on here this afternoon and of course I logged off and watched the news. I will keep everyones family in my prayers.

 

[quiverfull7]

My SIL is a VaTech grad. He and my daughter are SO distraught. They are SO sad and fear the negative spin will be placed on their beloved school. They are in prayer for all the affected families. This is such a tremendous tragedy.

 

[lisacb77]

Quiver I don't know if its a lot of consolation, but I keep seeing in the stories that the most deadly campus shooting prior to this was at UTexas, and they still have a a great rep. Granted that was many many years ago but I think with some time, people will not hate the school forever or anything like that.

Hugs & prayers to all touched.

 

[StacieB]

Just terrible!!

 

[raebates]

Shocking. Appalling. Tragic.

 

[klsnyder]

All of us here in Virginia are realing in pain...Trying to make sure loved ones are ok...please keep praying!!!

 

[heat123]

Heartbreaking! My sympathies goes out to all families of the victims of this terrible incident!

 

[pcchris]

I just can't imagine how someone's life can be so horrible that they feel the need to do something like this. It's sad.

 

[Kitchen2u]

What a moving convocation they had on national TV...I broke down when they showed a family member breaking down and having to leave the service.

Having just lost my Uncle less than 2 weeks ago on April 14 and my FAVORITE Uncle On Jan 10 of this year ~ the saddness is unbearable ~ But I have peace knowing my two Uncles are there to greet these people and take good care of them beyond the pearly gates. I am fortunate we had forewarning of my two Uncles deaths, these families at Virigina Tech had no warning ~ how something so sudden and tragic and senseless ~ I can't imagine what these families are going through.

Ginny