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* [[Dawson College shooting]] ([[September 13]] [[2006]])
* [[Dawson College shooting]] ([[September 13]] [[2006]])
* [[École Polytechnique massacre]] in [[Montreal]] ([[December 6]] [[1989]])
* [[École Polytechnique massacre]] in [[Montreal]] ([[December 6]] [[1989]])
* [[Erfurt massacre]] ([[April 26]] [[2002]])


==External links==
==External links==

Revision as of 11:30, 17 April 2007

Virginia Tech massacre
Norris Hall, where 30 of the 32 murders occurred.
LocationBlacksburg, Virginia, United States
DateApril 16, 2007
7:15 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (UTC-4)
TargetVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
Attack type
School shooting, mass murder, murder-suicide, massacre
Deaths33 (including the suspect)[1][2]
Injured29[2]
MotiveUnclear

The Virginia Tech massacre was a school massacre that occured in two separate shooting incidents committed by a currently unidentified gunman on April 16, 2007, at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. Government officials, the university, and most news sources have confirmed 32 victims dead, [3][4][5][6] making it the deadliest civilian shooting in U.S. history.[4][7]

Description of events

The first shooting occurred at around 7:15 a.m. EDT in West Ambler Johnston Hall, a co-ed dormitory that houses 895 students, where a woman and a male resident assistant (identified by several newspapers and the social networking site Facebook as Ryan Christopher "Stack" Clark of Augusta, Georgia) were killed.[8][9] About two hours later, shots were reported in a classroom at Norris Hall, an engineering and science building.[2][10] Authorities identified a "person of interest" in the first shooting, who is cooperating with them. According to the Washington Post, this "person of interest" was the boyfriend of the woman in the dorm and was released after cooperating.[3]

It is not yet confirmed whether the first shootings in the dormitory and the later shootings at Norris Hall are related.[11]

The motives of the gunman (or gunmen) remain unclear, though the British tabloid Daily Mail reported that the shooter at the dormitory "was said to have quarrelled in a dormitory with his girlfriend, whom he believed had been seeing another man. A student advisor was called to sort out the row. But the killer produced a gun and shot dead both his girlfriend and the advisor."[12] However, this theory is contradicted by a report in the Washington Post, which seems to indicate that the assailant was not the boyfriend of the girl, but rather someone else.[3]

An eyewitness told the student newspaper, the Collegiate Times, that a gunman shot about 19 people attending a German class in Norris Hall including the teacher.[13][14][15] Erin Sheehan, who was among the only four people to emerge unscathed from the German class, with the rest either being killed or wounded, said the gunman "peeked in twice, earlier in the lesson, like he was looking for someone, somebody, before he started shooting."[16] During the first news conference, the campus police chief and university director reported that there were "at least" 20 people dead in the second shooting, and it was there that the gunman allegedly shot himself fatally in the head.[citation needed]

27 gunshots can be heard in video footage captured with a cell phone, later broadcast on many news outlets.[17]

Student Nikolas Macko described to BBC News his experience at the center of the shootings. He had been attending a math class and heard gunshots in the hallway. Three people in the classroom barricaded themselves inside the room using a table. At one point, Macko said, the gunman even attempted to break down the door of the classroom and then shot twice into the room; one shot hit a podium and the other went out the window. The shooter reloaded and shot into the door again but the bullet did not penetrate into the room. He stated there were "many, many shots" fired.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

High winds prevented emergency medical services from using helicopters for the evacuations.[18] Victims injured in the event were treated at Montgomery Regional Hospital in Blacksburg, Carilion New River Valley Medical Center in Christiansburg, and Lewis-Gale Medical Center in Salem.[4]

Suspect

The identity of the gunman (or gunmen) was not immediately known. Law enforcement reported that he killed himself inside Norris Hall by a shot to the head and used a 9 mm handgun and a .22 caliber handgun. One official added that the gunman was "heavily armed and wearing a vest."[19][20][21][22] The authorities said that the gunman carried no identification,[4] but that investigators were trying to trace purchase records for the guns found near the body.[4] The gunman was a student at the school and lived in one of the dormitories.[23]

A student speaking to Times Now said that the first gunshots were heard when classes were in progress. "We heard about 30 gunshots in the morning. The gunman appeared to be Asian and was looking for his girlfriend," the student said.[24] However, a relationship between any of the victims and the shooter has not yet been established.

Sources in University Relations told the student newspaper there may have been two arrests.[12] The arrests have not been confirmed by authorities, nor have names of anyone arrested been released.

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed reported that sources have said the suspect, a 24-year-old Chinese man, arrived in San Francisco on United Airlines on August 7, 2006, on a student visa issued in Shanghai.[25]

At about 4:00 a.m. EDT April 17, 2007, police reported that they have a preliminary identification of the killer, but are not ready to release it.[26]

Victims

This only includes victims which have so far been specifically cited in the media; the list is not comprehensive.

First Shooting, West Ambler Johnston Hall Dormitory

  • Emily J. Hilscher, 18, a freshman from Woodville in Rappahannock County, Virginia.[27]
  • Ryan C. Clark, 22, a senior from Augusta, Georgia. A resident adviser at the West Ambler Johnston Hall Dormitory, he was killed in the dormitory as he rushed over to investigate what was going on when he came upon the gunman, according to a student who lives on the fourth floor, where the first shootings took place.[28]

Second Shooting, Norris Hall Engineering Building

  • Henry Lee, a freshman in Computer Engineering.[29]
  • Maxine Turner, a senior in Chemical Engineering.[29]
  • Matt La Porte, a freshman.[29]
  • Juan Ortiz, a graduate student.[29]
  • Jarrett Lane, a senior.[29]
  • Leslie Sherman, a sophomore.[29]
  • Caitlin Hammaren, a sophomore.[29]
  • Reema Samaha, a freshman.[29]
  • Ross Alameddine, a student from Saugus, Massachusetts.[2]
  • Mary Read, a freshman.[30]
  • Instructor Christopher J. Bishop, killed while teaching a German class.[31][32]
  • Professor G. V. Loganathan.[29]
  • Professor Liviu Librescu, killed while holding off the gunman so his students could escape.[27][33]
  • Professor Kevin Granata.[27]

Responses

School response

Virginia Tech canceled classes for Monday and Tuesday[1] and asked off-campus visitors not to come onto the campus. The school is offering counseling assistance for students and faculty and has scheduled an assembly for Tuesday. Additionally, the Red Cross has dispatched several dozen crisis counselors to Blacksburg to help Virginia Tech students cope with the tragedy that their school has endured.[1]

Virginia Tech President Charles Steger stated at the first news conference that authorities initially believed the first shooting at the West Ambler Johnston dormitory was a domestic dispute and that the gunman had left campus.[34]

Steger indicated in a second press conference later in the afternoon that several thousand students were already on their way to class:

You have to remember that of the 26,000 [students] that we have, only about 9,000 are on campus. When the classes start at 8:00 A.M., thousands of people are in transit. The question is, where do you keep them when it is most safe? We concluded that the incident at the dormitory was domestic in nature. These other events occurred two hours later.

Steger further noted:

It is very difficult, because we are an open society and an open campus. We have 26,000 people here. The best thing that we can do is to have people report anything that they saw that was suspicious. We obviously cannot have an armed guard in front of every classroom every day of the year. …What we try to determine is are they kept out of harm’s way by staying in the dorms or staying in the academic buildings. We send out communications by e-mail, we have an emergency alert system to get the word to our students as quickly as we can. With 11,000 people driving in to campus, it is extremely difficult if not impossible to get the word out instantaneously.

Student response

Many Virginia Tech students questioned why the school had not been locked down after the first shooting.[35] Once students knew what was happening, some resorted to using websites such as Facebook to communicate with their family and peers about their condition.[21] The school first informed students via e-mail two hours after the first shooting, warning them of the danger and canceling classes.[36]

Law enforcement response

In addition to the Virginia Tech campus police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the investigation. Bureau spokesman Richard Kolko stated there was no immediate evidence to suggest a terrorist incident, but that the agency is exploring all avenues.[36] The Virginia State Police are also investigating.[36] The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) immediately responded to the incident with 10 agents on-scene identifying the weapons and performing forensics.[37]

Government response

Virginia's U.S. Senators John Warner and Jim Webb have both offered their condolences.[38] Virginia Governor Tim Kaine is returning early from a trip to Tokyo, Japan.[36] Kaine later declared a "state of emergency" in Virginia, which allows the governor to immediately deploy state personnel, equipment, and other resources to help out in the aftermath of a tragedy.[39]

The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate observed a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims. President George W. Bush stated that the nation was "shocked and saddened" by the shooting. He added "schools should be places of safety and sanctuary and learning. When that sanctuary is violated, the impact is felt in every American classroom and every American community." He also pledged assistance to law enforcement and the local community.[40]

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy postponed by two days the scheduled April 17 testimony of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales concerning the firings of eight United States prosecutors.[41] In a statement, Gonzales said that the Justice Department would provide support and assistance to the local authorities and victims as long as they were needed.[42]

The Senate approved a resolution on Monday night extending condolences to the victims of the shooting.[43]

International reaction

On April 16, 2007, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom was reported to be shocked and saddened at the shootings. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have a pre-planned two-day visit to Virginia on May 3 and May 4, 2007.[44]

Despite the tense relations between the United States and Iran, a spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry expressed his State's deepest condolences over the tragedy.[45]

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has extended his sympathies to the victim's families while decrying what he described as a 'negative gun culture' in America. [46]

Timeline

All times are in EDT (North American Eastern Time Zone or UTC-4).

Monday, April 16

  • 7:15 a.m.: A 9-1-1 emergency call to Virginia Tech Police reports a shooting at West Ambler Johnston Hall, leaving at least one person dead and one injured.[47][48][49]
  • 8:00 a.m.: Classes begin.
  • 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.(approx.): Shooter opens fire in classroom in Norris Hall, an engineering building.[48]
  • 9:26 a.m.: Emails go out to campus staff and faculty saying there has been a shooting on campus.[3]
  • 9:45 a.m.: Students in the engineering building Norris Hall call police to report more shots have been fired.[50]
  • 9:55 a.m.: A third email announcing: "A gunman is loose on campus. Stay in buildings until further notice. Stay away from all windows" is sent to all Virginia Tech email addresses. Loudspeakers broadcast a similar message.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).
  • 12:00 p.m.: At a press conference, authorities said there may have been more than 21 people killed and 28 injured.[51]
  • 2:30 p.m.: AP reports at least 31 killed, including gunman.
  • 3:40 p.m.: Virginia Tech confirms 22 dead.[citation needed]
  • 4:01 p.m.: President Bush speaks from the White House regarding the shooting.[52]
  • 4:40 p.m.: The school holds a press conference with updates on the day's events.[1]
  • 4:42 p.m.: Virginia Tech confirms 33 dead including the shooter.[1]
  • 7:30 p.m.: Third press conference. A final confirmation that there have been 31 deaths at Norris Hall, including the gunman Virginia Tech 7:30 Press Conference

Reported schedule for Tuesday, April 17

  • University closed, all classes cancelled.[1]
  • 2:00 p.m.: Convocation/Ceremony at Cassell Coliseum.[1]
  • 8:00 p.m.: Candlelight vigil on the Drillfield at Virginia Tech; organized by Hokies United, an ad hoc group which has previously brought student organizations together during tragedies at Virginia Tech.[11]

Historical context

The incident is the deadliest school shooting incident in the United States, surpassing the 15 deaths[53] of the Columbine High School massacre of 1999 and the 16 deaths[53] at the University of Texas massacre of 1966. It is the second deadliest school-related killing in U.S. history, behind the 1927 Bath School disaster which claimed 45 lives, including 38 school children.[53]

With a death toll of 33,[53] this is the deadliest civilian shooting in United States history, ahead of the Luby's massacre of 1991 in which 24 people were shot and killed.[53]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Virginia Tech official website". Virginia Tech official website. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  2. ^ a b c d "Gunman killed after deadly Virginia Tech rampage". CNN. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  3. ^ a b c d Pierre, Robert (April 16, 2007). "33 Dead in Virginia Tech Shootings, At Least 24 Injured". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-04-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e Hauser, Christine. "Virginia Tech Shooting Kills at Least 33". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-04-16. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "Toll climbs to 31 in Virginia campus shooting". CBC News. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  6. ^ Brendan Bush. "At least 32 dead in Virginia shooting rampage". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  7. ^ "Federal Officials: Virginia Tech Shooting: 33 Deaths In Blacksburg "Worst In History"". Post Chronicle. 2007-04-16. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  8. ^ 32 Shot Dead on Virginia Tech Campus By John M. Broder, The New York Times, April 17, 2007
  9. ^ First shooting victim named as Ryan Clark Daily Mail
  10. ^ Deadly shooting at US university "US university shooting kills 33". BBC. Retrieved 2007-04-16. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
  11. ^ a b "At least 33 killed in shootings at Virginia Tech." Roanoke Times, April 16, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-04-16
  12. ^ a b Williams, David. "A lovers' tiff in the dormitory... then the university killer began his rampage." Daily Mail, retrieved on 2007-04-16.
  13. ^ "German Teacher Killed at Virginia Massacre". Ajc. 2007-04-16. Retrieved 2007-04-17. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |Author= (help)
  14. ^ "Professor among victims of Virginia Tech Massacre". Los Angeles Times. 2007-04-16. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  15. ^ "Students react to the tragedy". Collegiate Times. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  16. ^ "Chinese man suspected in Virginia Tech massacre". Shanghai Daily. 2007-04-17. Retrieved 2007-04-17. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ "Virginia Tech Shooting Video Online: 33 Killed, 29 Injured". Post Chronicle. 2007-04-16. Retrieved 2007-04-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |Author= (help)
  18. ^ Holley, Joe. "Students Recount Shootings". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  19. ^ "31 Dead In Virginia Tech Shooting". CBS 11. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  20. ^ Fantz, Ashley. "Virginia Tech Shooting Kills at Least 33". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-04-16. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ a b "ABC News Massacre at Virginia Tech: 33 Confirmed Dead". ABC. Retrieved 2007-04-16. Cite error: The named reference "ABC" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  22. ^ "At least 33 dead in rampage at Virginia college". MSNBC. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  23. ^ "Virginia Tech president: Shooter was Asian student". CNN. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  24. ^ "32 killed in Virginia Univ shootout". Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  25. ^ Sneed, Michael. "Gunman kills 32 at Virginia Tech before being killed". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  26. ^ CNN, Police have preliminary ID of campus gunman
  27. ^ a b c Broder, John. "32 Shot Dead on Virginia Tech Campus". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  28. ^ Coroner confirms student’s death, The Roanoke Times
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i "List of confirmed deceased". Collegiate Times. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  30. ^ Greg Livadas. "Student, 19, with relatives here among the victims", Democrat and Chronicle, April 17, 2007
  31. ^ Fox News. "Victims of Virginia Tech Shooting".
  32. ^ "Professor among Virginia Tech victims". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  33. ^ Donovan, Doug. "'I don't think my teacher got out'". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  34. ^ Kurz, Jr., Hank. "Questions Raised on Va. Tech Security." Washington Post, Associated Press report. April 16, 2006, retrieved on 2006-04-16.
  35. ^ "Virginia Tech Shooting Press Conference: 33 Dead, Anger, Questions". Post Chronicle. 2007-04-16. Retrieved 2007-04-16. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ a b c d Fox News. "Virginia Tech Campus Reels From Shooting That Leaves at Least 32 Dead". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |access date= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  37. ^ My Fox Washington DC. "Bush Calls Virginia Tech Shooting 'Terrible Tragedy'".
  38. ^ KWTX News. "Visibly Shaken Virginia Senator Says Shootings Have Touched The Nation". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |access date= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  39. ^ Governor declares state of emergency The Associated Press
  40. ^ Bush statement on VT shootings, White House, April 16, 2007
  41. ^ Gonzales hearing postponed, SFGate.com, April 16, 2007
  42. ^ Gonzales offers support, CBS News, April 16, 2007
  43. ^ "President Bush says shootings at Virginia Tech affect all students", WHDH-TV, April 16, 2007
  44. ^ "Queen 'shocked' at US shootings", BBC News, April 16, 2007
  45. ^ "Iran condemns Virginia shootings", PRESS TV, April 17
  46. ^ Howard decries U.S. 'gun culture', CNN, April 17.
  47. ^ At least one dead in campus shooting, WDBJ7 Roanoke. April 16, 2007
  48. ^ a b Front page, Collegiate Times, April 16, 2007
  49. ^ Larry Hincker. "Shooting at Virginia Tech", Virginia Tech bulletin, April 16, 2007.
  50. ^ Timeline of Virginia Tech Shooting Spree WDBJ7
  51. ^ Virginia Tech Authorities Confirm 20 Fatalities, WDBJ, April 16 2007
  52. ^ "Bush 'horrified, concerned' by Virginia Tech massacre", Chicago Tribune, April 16, 2007.
  53. ^ a b c d e This total includes the murderer, except for Columbine High School massacre, where it includes two murderers. In the University of Texas shooting, different sources claim 15, 16 or 17 victim deaths.

See also

External links

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