Elephant Ears

This blog is dedicated to the political happenings in the Valley and Southwest Virginia. As the the name implies, this blog will have posts based on what is heard by this elephant's (GOPer's) ears. It is also a great treat to get while at the county fair or a carnival.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Dark Day in Blacksburg

Right now the number is 22 dead and 28 wounded and that includes one shooter dead. They believe he/she acted alone, but that is not confirmed. There is no apparent motive currently other than they believe the shooting at West AJ this morning was a man shooting his girlfriend and Resident Advisor.

From all reports, this is the worst school shooting ever.

School is closed today and tomorrow and there is supposed to be some type of convocation service in Cassell Coliseum tomorrow at 2 PM.

If you have family or something that you want to reunite with, they are telling everyone to go to the Inn at VT off Prices Fork Road. Also, if you call someone and do not get them; do not be automatically alarmed. The cell towers are jammed like crazy, so it may be difficult to get through.

I will keep everyone updates as much as possible, but it hard to say how long it will take to fully grasp what has happened.

UPDATE: The death toll is reported to be 32 now. Governor Kaine has released a statement and is returning from Tokyo. I will get the link to any and all press releases as soon as I can get them. Virginia Tech President Charles Steger's comments can be heard here.

UPDATE2: Sorry for the delay but I just got internet service back. The press conference at 4:30 confirmed 2 dead at West AJ and 31 dead at Norris Hall including the shooter. 15 are still being hospitalized. The shooter was reported to have committed suicide. LG Bolling was on Fox News and AG McDonnell has been on CNN so far. That is still basically all the info that has been released. Tomorrow we should know some of the victims and hopefully the shooter. One key note is that the police have not 100% satisfied themselves that the two shootings are related (although it would seem they are).

UPDATE3: Apparently they are still not sure the Norris shooter and West AJ shooter were the same person. The "person of interest" in the first shooting was being questioned when the second one occurred, so it looks like there were potentially two unrelated shootings today. This storyline gets more murky each time another press conference is done.

posted by GOPHokie @ 11:52 AM  

42 Comments:

  • At 4/16/2007 12:00 PM, Blogger SWAC Girl said…

    Thank God you're safe. I've linked to you from my site ... we're holding our breath because we know many students there....

     

  • At 4/16/2007 12:05 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Does Marcus Vick have an alibi?

     

  • At 4/16/2007 12:06 PM, Blogger David said…

    Glad you're safe, Hokie. Hope you begin an effort to have the University change their weapons policy. Let us know if we in the Harrisonburg area can do anything for you.

     

  • At 4/16/2007 12:24 PM, Blogger Rob Robinson said…

    Shame on you, anonymous.

    Hokie, thanks for sharing these thoughts. I can't imagine what it must feel like to be there today, but I hope comfort and answers are on their way soon.

     

  • At 4/16/2007 12:50 PM, Anonymous finnegan said…

    Good to know you're alive. Continue with updates if you can.

     

  • At 4/16/2007 1:02 PM, Anonymous Scott's Morning Brew said…

    Glad you are safe and sound. Keep the news coming PLEASE

     

  • At 4/16/2007 1:18 PM, Blogger Steve Harkonnen said…

    We have a neighbor whose daughter attends Tech and I believe she's in her fourth year there. I mourn the losses but hope and pray that she is not one of the victims.

     

  • At 4/16/2007 1:40 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    do they know who the shooter is yet?

     

  • At 4/16/2007 1:42 PM, Blogger Malia said…

    Thanks for your insights. I'm a VT alum and I'm shocked and saddened, especially since I was just on campus this past weekend for a reunion.

    I'm very glad that you are okay (physically) though I'm sure emotionally you have a lot of healing to do.

    My prayers are with you and all of VT.

     

  • At 4/16/2007 1:48 PM, Blogger GOPHokie said…

    The shooter was killed and is reported to be an asian male in his 20s.

     

  • At 4/16/2007 2:28 PM, Blogger Mr. Smarterthanyou said…

    If he is a white or oriental, the MSM will be all over gun control.

    If he is black, they will be all over how white people picked on him, and gun control.

    If he is a muslim, this story will be buried, because then if they start talking about gun control, even the usual liberal lemmings will say "wait a minute, why not just get rid og the muslims!!"

     

  • At 4/16/2007 2:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    2:28- great comment.

    BTW; if anyone has any desire to break any land-speed records on a Virginia Highway- today is the day to attempt such a feat. Every State Trooper in the State is in B-Burg today and tomorrow.

    Buckle up.

     

  • At 4/16/2007 3:57 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Does this mean Girls Gone Wild isnt coming here anymore?

     

  • At 4/16/2007 4:04 PM, Blogger Megan said…

    2:28 ... sadly, you're probably correct.

    But rather than focus on that right now the people in this town need to grieve and recover. I am just so sad and sickened by what happened today. It just escapes me how someone can take such an evil step.

     

  • At 4/16/2007 4:25 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Act I: shooter goes and kills his target, fully expecting that he will be caught.

    time goes by, he realizes he is dead anyway, and begins Act II-matrix/columbine.

    I'm guessing that the second part, was not premeditated, at least until his escape from the first.

    If the shooter had been a white or black male, there would have been a campus wide alert, instantly. Owing to racial sensitivity, the admin did not want to describe the shooter as asian, for fear of potential misidentification.

    They made a judgment call, which resulted in 25+ additional deaths.

     

  • At 4/16/2007 5:58 PM, Blogger GOPHokie said…

    4:25, I would argue this was not a spur of the moment thing simply b/c the gunman was apprently carrying massive amounts of ammunition and also chains to bar the doors.
    Also, the police have not ruled out the possibility that these are two unrelated incidents (although I think that is highly unlikely).

     

  • At 4/16/2007 6:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    My prayers go out to all the families and all of the students at VT. I am upset that the news people are trying to second guess what should have been done. Trying to say that you weren't given enought warning is so trite a comment by someone who just wants to get notority in the news. Yes, there shouldn't have been any wind and the helicopters could land, and if it would have been a hot day, the shooter wouldn't have been wearing a coat to cover up all the clips, and things are very tragic and we need to heal and not keep bringing up the negative. This will be another Anna Nicole story. Prayer is what needs to be done and people need to change our world to love instead of hate.

     

  • At 4/16/2007 6:59 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    A lock down doesn't happen in seconds was the best quote of the day.I don't think these newsmen have any idea how big the campus is. I am proud of the job the police did. Who can say that more lives would have been saved if there had been a lock down earlier? If he was cornered he might not have killed himself as soon as he did and more would have been killed. My prayers and thoughts are with VT. Do you have a panic and have even more tragedies? God Bless!!!

     

  • At 4/16/2007 7:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    So was the shooter the same person with the bomb threat on Friday?

     

  • At 4/16/2007 7:21 PM, Blogger GOPHokie said…

    7:00, they still do not know. From what I understand the bomb threats were simply hand written notes left in common areas.

     

  • At 4/16/2007 7:31 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    the police and staff of the college appears to have acted correctly with the infomation known at the time. locking down a small town is impossible to do in the minutes during an active shooter incident. the press appear to be totally unaware of the ongoing investigation. they need to understand that the police will not answer some questions.

     

  • At 4/16/2007 9:31 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    My prayers go out to the VT community. There is no one to blame except the person holding the gun. No college or university anywhere in this country could ever be prepared for such a senseless act of violence. Please pray for all the families whose lives are forever changed.

     

  • At 4/16/2007 9:49 PM, Blogger gleehorse said…

    What craziness! Thanks for updates from the inside.

    Is there a way to figure out email addresses for students just knowing first and last names?

    Thanks!

     

  • At 4/16/2007 10:08 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Yes anon 9:49. Go to the VT website and type in the first and last name at VT People and click Go and you have the email.

     

  • At 4/16/2007 10:10 PM, Blogger gleehorse said…

    duh to me! Thanks.:)

     

  • At 4/17/2007 1:49 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    4:25
    had VT gone on "lockdown" as the identity of the shooter was not ascertained, who's to say he wouldn't have been herded into a room with 30+ random people and just opened up anyway?

     

  • At 4/18/2007 8:04 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    My son goes to Tech (thankfully he is safe) and I have shed many tears over this tragedy. I am sick of the media second guessing everything the school did. There was a lock down on the first day of school last semester. I spoke with my son during that lockdown and he said many students were ignoring it - he could see people outside. I think this young man was intent on shooting people and would have done it one way or the other. The press needs to stop pointing fingers (I think the drug company might be next) and allow Tech to use this to become stronger.

     

  • At 4/19/2007 2:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    AMEN! Anon 8:04. A lock down would not have made a difference except the carnage might have been on Harper.

     

  • At 4/20/2007 3:25 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

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  • At 4/20/2007 3:26 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    My prayers go out to all the families and all of the students at VT. I am upset that the news people are trying to second guess what should have been done. Trying to say that you weren't given enought warning is so trite a comment by someone who just wants to get notority in the news. Yes, there shouldn't have been any wind and the helicopters could land, and if it would have been a hot day, the shooter wouldn't have been wearing a coat to cover up all the clips, and things are very tragic and we need to heal and not keep bringing up the negative. This will be another Anna Nicole story. Prayer is what needs to be done and people need to change our world to love instead of hate.

     

  • At 4/20/2007 3:27 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    lock down doesn't happen in seconds was the best quote of the day.I don't think these newsmen have any idea how big the campus is. I am proud of the job the police did. Who can say that more lives would have been saved if there had been a lock down earlier? If he was cornered he might not have killed himself as soon as he did and more would have been killed. My prayers and thoughts are with VT. Do you have a panic and have even more tragedies? God Bless!!!

     

  • At 4/20/2007 3:29 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    My prayers go out to all the families and all of the students at VT. I am upset that the news people are trying to second guess what should have been done. Trying to say that you weren't given enought warning is so trite a comment by someone who just wants to get notority in the news. Yes, there shouldn't have been any wind and the helicopters could land, and if it would have been a hot day, the shooter wouldn't have been wearing a coat to cover up all the clips, and things are very tragic and we need to heal and not keep bringing up the negative. This will be another Anna Nicole story. Prayer is what needs to be done and people need to change our world to love instead of hate.
    A lock down doesn't happen in seconds was the best quote of the day.I don't think these newsmen have any idea how big the campus is. I am proud of the job the police did. Who can say that more lives would have been saved if there had been a lock down earlier? If he was cornered he might not have killed himself as soon as he did and more would have been killed. My prayers and thoughts are with VT. Do you have a panic and have even more tragedies? God Bless!!!was the shooter the same person with the bomb threat on Friday?

     

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