At least 33 people were killed and more than 15 people were injured yesterday at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in the deadliest shooting spree in American history.
Two separate shooting incidents occurred yesterday morning, the first in a residence hall and the second in an academic building, according to CNN.
Police received an initial emergency 911 call at 7:15 a.m. from the West Ambler Johnston residence hall, where two were left dead after a shooting. About two hours later, while officials were investigating the first murders, there was a second shooting at Norris Hall, a science and engineering building on the opposite end of Virginia Tech's 2,600-acre campus. The second shooting spree left 31 dead, including the gunman, who reportedly killed himself.
While the events were unfolding, conflicting reports reached students on the campus.
"At first we were getting news that it was two shooters," Virginia Tech freshman Adwoa Baah-Dwomoh told the Daily at about 5:40 p.m. yesterday. "And then they were saying that it was just one shooter, but now while watching the news they're thinking that it was two separate shooters who were working together."
At press time, reports indicated that there was only one gunman.
In the hours after the massacre, reports indicated that some victims were lined up and shot, while others crouched on floors for cover. Some even jumped from windows to escape, according to The New York Times.
"My friend actually saw ... people jumping from the buildings," Baah-Dwomoh said.
"Everybody's in shock," she said. "Virginia Tech is such a safe campus that nobody expected any of this to ever happen."
Tufts' Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman said that as a campus administrator, the event struck close to home.
"It's the most horrific situation you could ever imagine at a college. You just look at the buildings at Virginia Tech, and you see that they look a little bit like some of our residence halls and you say, 'Oh my God, could you even imagine?'"
Reitman said that Tufts has "as good a [security] system as anybody," but that sometimes good security is not enough.
"It's a scary and shocking and sad statement about society, but we're at a time where there's a lack of certainty," he said.
Questions have been raised as to the appropriateness of Virginia Tech's response to the initial shootings. According to CNN, a campus-wide e-mail sent approximately two hours after the first shooting urged students to "be cautious" and to report "anything suspicious"; however, because officials allegedly believed that the first shooting was an isolated incident, the university was not closed and students were not evacuated.
More coverage of the shootings will follow shortly in the Daily.
