The Energon Pub

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:07 pm**

BREAKING NEWS
NBC, MSNBC and news services
Updated: 11 minutes ago
BLACKSBURG, Va. - A gunman opened fire in a dorm and classroom at a college in Virginia on Monday, killing at least 30 people in the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. The gunman also was killed, and more than a dozen other people were injured.

“Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions,” said Charles Steger, president of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, in southwest Virginia. “The university is shocked and indeed horrified.”

The shootings spread panic and confusion at the college, which is popularly known as Virginia Tech. Witnesses reporting students jumping out the windows of a classroom building to escape the gunfire.

Authorities said the gunman was dead after he shot nearly 50 people at two locations on campus. Twenty-one were confirmed dead, NBC News reported. At least 28 others were injured, at least four of whom were in critical condition, NBC affiliate WSLS-TV in nearby Roanoke reported, quoting local hospital officials.

The name of the gunman, whom witnesses described as a young Asian man wearing a maroon cap and a black leather jacket, was not released. It was not immediately clear whether he shot himself or was killed by police.

The man did not appear to be shooting at random, NBC News’ Pete Williams reported, quoting federal law enforcement officials. He appeared to have specifically targeted the two locations, a co-ed dormitory and a classroom in an engineering building.

Officials told Williams that they were investigating reports that the gunman may have chained the doors of the classroom closed so his victims could not escape.

No terrorism evidence
The university reported shootings at opposite sides of the 2,600-acre campus, beginning at 7:15 a.m. ET at West Ambler Johnston, a co-ed residence hall that houses 895 people.

The campus was under lockdown, with students asked to stay indoors and away from the windows, when authorities got word of gunfire about two hours later at Norris Hall, an engineering building.

Some but not all of the dead were students. One student was killed in the dorm, and the others were killed in the classroom, said Virginia Tech Police Chief W.R. Flinchum.

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

Law enforcement officials said the gunman carried two weapons, a 9-mm handgun and a 22-caliber gun, Williams reported.

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 deadliest previous 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 School bloodbath near Littleton, Colo., in 1999, two teenagers killed 12 fellow students and a teacher before taking their own lives.

After Monday’s shootings at Virginia Tech, all entrances to the campus were closed.

The university set up a meeting place for families to reunite with their children at the Inn at Virginia Tech. It also made counselors available and planned a convocation for Tuesday at the Cassell Coliseum basketball arena.

“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 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.

This has to be worst school shooting since Columbine.My heart go out for all the people who lost a family member on this sad day.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:16 pm**

Things like these make me really pissed off. :-x

**** like this isn't even supposed to be happening at schools.

My condolences to all the families, friends, etc. of the victims.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:17 pm**

I have been watching Fox News since noon about this and they report 32 dead

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:23 pm**

Man.. The death toll keeps rising.. A little while ago the news reported the death toll at 28..

Sad day... :-(

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:24 pm**

Wheeljack35 wrote:I have been watching Fox News since noon about this and they report 32 dead

Everythings pretty murky right now from the sounds of it.

I mean, I've been hearing rumors that there might be a second shooter on the loose.

I doubt it, but it's possible.

We don't have any Seibertronians there do we? I hope not.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:26 pm**

I posted this on the front page. I know some of you don't like when I post real news on the homepage of the site, but this is a very shocking and very sad set of events that happened this morning. As much as I love Transformers and enjoy having Seibertron.com to escape from the "real world", I feel it is my obligation as the owner of a major website to relay events of this nature to take a moment to reflect about life and to inform the tens of thousands of people who visit this site daily.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:27 pm**

Guy must have got a d on a project. Idiot. people like that piss me off

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:29 pm**

1Big\"F\"ingRayOfSunshine wrote:Guy must have got a d on a project. Idiot. people like that piss me off

I actually doubt that was the case.

But since he's dead it may be a long time before we know for sure.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:35 pm**

Seibertron wrote:I posted this on the front page. I know some of you don't like when I post real news on the homepage of the site, but this is a very shocking and very sad set of events that happened this morning. As much as I love Transformers and enjoy having Seibertron.com to escape from the "real world", I feel it is my obligation as the owner of a major website to relay events of this nature to take a moment to reflect about life and to inform the tens of thousands of people who visit this site daily.

To hell with those who dont like it. Things like this need to be reported on.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:37 pm**

Megatron_Wolf wrote:
Seibertron wrote:I posted this on the front page. I know some of you don't like when I post real news on the homepage of the site, but this is a very shocking and very sad set of events that happened this morning. As much as I love Transformers and enjoy having Seibertron.com to escape from the "real world", I feel it is my obligation as the owner of a major website to relay events of this nature to take a moment to reflect about life and to inform the tens of thousands of people who visit this site daily.

To hell with those who dont like it. Things like this need to be reported on.

Exactly.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:38 pm**

Oh, man... this is crazy. My condolenscences for the families affected by this horrible accurance.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:38 pm**

Condolences to all the families and friends of the victims.
This is incredible that in the time that we are living still hapens tragedies like this one...
There are no words to descrive my fellings at this time...
May they rest in peace... :-(

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:39 pm**

When I first heard about this, I was shocked, then scared. My brother's over there, and thankfully he's all right, and so's my friends, but I just can't understand how this could happen. My prayers go out to the friends and family of those who were lost, and for the victims themselves.

-Angie Prime

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:40 pm**

Caelus wrote:
1Big\"F\"ingRayOfSunshine wrote:Guy must have got a d on a project. Idiot. people like that piss me off

I actually doubt that was the case.

But since he's dead it may be a long time before we know for sure.

I know, I'm just being general about some of the types of excuses the "shooters' use to do crap like this. "My mom didnt make me eat my brusselsprouts" or "that guy picked on me in kindercare, I think he and his friends should die"

I live in East County San Diego and we had the Santee shootings and Granite hills shootings within a month or 2 of each other and both of them were "boo hoo poor me" idiots and I cant stand it when people like that have little respect for human life.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:41 pm**

I've been reading about this on the news sites (at work right now) and heard about it a bit on the radio. This is just plain sad news. I agree it should be reported here though.

I also attend college and I just can't help but imagine those events playing out on my campus (no, I don't think they will or anything like that). It's just a terrible thing to even think about. I mean, just what could set off a person like that? Even though it may be a while, I hope some connections or what not will come forth soon. Hopefully this was just an isolated incident (I'm confident that it was).

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:42 pm**

Cyber Bishop wrote:
Megatron_Wolf wrote:
Seibertron wrote:I posted this on the front page. I know some of you don't like when I post real news on the homepage of the site, but this is a very shocking and very sad set of events that happened this morning. As much as I love Transformers and enjoy having Seibertron.com to escape from the "real world", I feel it is my obligation as the owner of a major website to relay events of this nature to take a moment to reflect about life and to inform the tens of thousands of people who visit this site daily.

To hell with those who dont like it. Things like this need to be reported on.

Exactly.

Thank you. I agree.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:44 pm**

It's 32 confirmed now, shooter is supposedly dead used 2 9 mm pistols, I truly feel sorry for the victims and my prayers go out to them, but then as if on cue Jack Thompson was on and of Course that son of a bitch starts blaming videogames. How dare they put that ambulance chaser on to asses this horrible tradgedy.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:44 pm**

May God be with all the families affected by this horrible tragedy. My prayers go out to all of us in this time of need.
What a sad, sick world we live in.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:45 pm**

Whatever the reason is, it still is not going to justify what he did. I bet you the first politicians are going to talk about is stricter gun laws. That will side step the true tragedy that happened. May time will mend their hearts.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:48 pm**

My best to the victoms and their families.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:48 pm**

This was a senseless act of violence. Not to praise the gunman but he knew what he was doing. He shot the campus guard so that the police would be concentraded on that crime scene while he went to the classrooms un-opposed.

31 students dead...what happened to the measures put in place after Columbine?! This guy is a gawd damm coward for commiting suicide. I'm done here

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:50 pm**

I can't find the words to describe how I feel at this moment.
My condolences to the friends and family of the victims.
It's monsters like the murderer that disgust me.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:51 pm**

Sun Runner wrote:It's 32 confirmed now, shooter is supposedly dead used 2 9 mm pistols, I truly feel sorry for the victims and my prayers go out to them, but then as if on cue Jack Thompson was on and of Course that son of a bitch starts blaming videogames. How dare they put that ambulance chaser on to asses this horrible tradgedy.

That narrow minded son of a bitch :-x

People have died and this has nothing todo with video games

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:52 pm**

so what the heck was happening for the 2 hours between the shootings??

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:53 pm**

A black day indeed.
I know it's a college, but we school teachers hardly expect something of this magnatude in a place of learning, regardless of level.
To all of them there, my heart and mind, along with all of yours here.

The Energon Pub

At least 31 dead in Va. Tech shooting rampage

At least 31 dead in Va. Tech shooting rampage