At least 20 dead in campus shootings
- Thread starter Ping898
- Start date
There dang well should be lawsuits, IMO. Bloody ridiculous why they did not cancel classes. My prayers for everyone affected by this tragedy. :asian:
According to all accounts there was just one gunman and he apparently started shooting at the dorm then ran to the lecture hall and started shooting again. This all probably occured within a short time frame.
Current count of people who lost their lives is 32. Let us all hope that it does not rise anymore.
What truly is unfortunate is that it is so very, very hard to stop anything like this from happening. So many variables that civilians and law enforcement sometimes need a little luck in this type of situation.
My children's school just recently went to a buzzer/camera system for admittance into the school. I feel this is definately a good step in the right direction but I am under no illusion that a predator cannot gain entrance and commit some horrible act.
Current count of people who lost their lives is 32. Let us all hope that it does not rise anymore.
What truly is unfortunate is that it is so very, very hard to stop anything like this from happening. So many variables that civilians and law enforcement sometimes need a little luck in this type of situation.
My children's school just recently went to a buzzer/camera system for admittance into the school. I feel this is definately a good step in the right direction but I am under no illusion that a predator cannot gain entrance and commit some horrible act.
CNN is calling this the deadliest mass shooting in US history.
32 people have been counted, with almost as many wounded.
The year is still young.
I saw this story first whist having lunch with my parents and cried in my heart for the victims and their familes.
Later thoughts led to thinking that those two *******s now just made it THAT much harder to buy or carry a gun. Anti-gun activists are going to have a heyday with this incident tragic as it is.
Classes should've been suspended but it's probable that the second shooting occurred shortly thereafter the first. Full details of the incident have yet come to light. Will we get the TRUTH?? I wonder.
Charles Whitman was indeed the name of the guy who sniped students/faculty at the University of Texas. He killed his parents earlier that morning before going to school and climbing the tower. It was noted (25 years later via FOIA) that he was whizzing around (mentally) on a type of anti-depressant. Such may be the same case here... just my first speculation of what might have caused it.
Guess we'll know more tomorrow and the rest of the week as further details come to light.
My prayers to the families of the dead and injured.
Given the timeline, the second shooting happened a full two hours after the first.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-16-virginia-tech_N.htm
No reason given on this. All there are, have been a few speculations (disgruntled student, guy lost his girlfriend, etc), but nothing concrete.
I just listened to interviews on WRKO radio (Boston).
The story put forth is that it was believed that the initial slayings were seen to have "only" been matters of domestic violence and the police had received reports that the murderer was leaving the state.
When the Blacksburg police chief was pressed as to how he got this information, he said nothing. When asked what they Blacksburg police intended to do to track down the murderer that was allegedly leaving the state, he said nothing. When the college president was pressed as to why the initial slayings were deemed inconsequential in closing the school, he said nothing.
These murders....and the lack of action....are an absolute atrocity.
There are now 33 dead in Blacksburg with another 20 hospitalized for gunshot wounds.
The story put forth is that it was believed that the initial slayings were seen to have "only" been matters of domestic violence and the police had received reports that the murderer was leaving the state.
When the Blacksburg police chief was pressed as to how he got this information, he said nothing. When asked what they Blacksburg police intended to do to track down the murderer that was allegedly leaving the state, he said nothing. When the college president was pressed as to why the initial slayings were deemed inconsequential in closing the school, he said nothing.
These murders....and the lack of action....are an absolute atrocity.
There are now 33 dead in Blacksburg with another 20 hospitalized for gunshot wounds.
jetboatdeath
Blue Belt
I understand this is a great tragedy and hind site is always 20/20 but we have all unfortunately heard of this before. It has happened in an Amish community so we know that it can happen anywhere. We have knowledge of this and yet it goes unused. And yes it is easy to say what I would do in the situation not being there. Why did no one charge this guy? Why did no one do anything? Some reports said two students blocked the door to keep him from entering again; they did something and saved the rest of the people in the room. There are two options, one every one in the room gets shot. Two 10 people charge the guy and sadly 2-3 will get killed but it is still better odds than just sitting there and letting him fire away. Call me cold or callous but if I ever find myself in this situation I can only hope some one has my back because I will be charging the gunman.
God be with the innocent that fell today.
God be with the innocent that fell today.
Ninjamom
2nd Black Belt
I've done some searching online. Maybe there is something we all can do, as a community.
Here is a list of all registered student organizations on the campus of VPI, Blacksburg. I'm sure we can each find one student organization that seems to fit in with our personal interests. Selecting an organization will bring up the contact information for that group, including the email addresses of the club officers and the club webpage, if it has one. If you are adventurous and so inclined, why not email a word of encouragement and support to someone with a similar interest as yours?
I have found a (very) few of these organizations that have guestbooks or forums. The AKDPhi Sorority (College Asian Students) has a guestbook at their website here. The Wesley Foundation (a Methodist campus group open to all denominations/pursuasions) has a forum at their website that can be joined instantly; with a thread started specifically to encourage and remind students that people all over the world are praying for them (under the 'Announcements' subforum). These would be good places to drop a quick word of condolence or encouragement.
The bulk of the shootings occurred inside the Norris Hall. The Grad Students Committee for Engineering (Norris Hall) can be reached by email at [email protected] .
There are also student organizations at the campus (with webpages with contact information) for students practicing Wushu, Tae Kwon Do, and with the Bujinkan.
I do not think it would be inappropriate for anyone on this forum to send a word of encoruagment to members of any of these organizations.
You two have gotten right to the heart of things, haven't you... this is the best we can do now, and it might do some good for someone there to know that people elsewhere feel solidarity with them. Thanks for this info, Ninjamom.
You two have gotten right to the heart of things, haven't you... this is the best we can do now, and it might do some good for someone there to know that people elsewhere feel solidarity with them. Thanks for this info, Ninjamom.:asian:
Thanks from me too Ninjamom. I don't think there's anything that will help immediately but over the coming months even years it may help to know that people are with the friends and relatives.
It may help the rest of us try to make some sense of what is basically a senseless act. Already the recriminations are starting, the students and staff who survived will be feeling lucky they did but also bad that they did, they don't need to be made to feel worse by implications they should have done something to stop the shooter.
On MartialTalk perhaps we are different in that we think about violence and attacks more than others. We can't forget that the students at least are children when it comes down to it. One American 'commentator' said on the BBC last night that the other students had been allowed to carry guns one of them could have shot the shooter.
OP
OP
I don't know that that is the answer though...lord knows I would have been more afraid of getting shot by some of the idiots I went to school with if they were armed more so than some student with a vendetta or whatever...and I went to school in downtown Newark, NJ, not exactly the safest place to begin with
I can't believe this could happen. I went to Tech and you never imagine something like this can happen at your school.
I heard that students were jumping from windows to avoid the shooter. I still know many people at Tech, so I am waiting for the list of names....but praying for everyone at the same time.
I heard that students were jumping from windows to avoid the shooter. I still know many people at Tech, so I am waiting for the list of names....but praying for everyone at the same time.
And he was right.
That's what helped save lives in the University of Texas tragedy, when Charles Whitman started shooting people. It was the fact that several students had their firearms with them, and were able to keep Whitman pinned down by shooting back, that allowed the police officers to sneak up on Whitman and take him out.
Any law enforcement officer familiar with the case and can see with an open mind will tell you the same thing.
Jonathan
Blue Belt
Given the state of today's social mindset... would you really trust most people with the responsible use of a handgun?
My wife and I have a couple Hokie friends... luckily, they are okay. 3/4 of my office are former Tech students... it was a hard day, yesterday.
