MAJOR Shooting at Virginia Campus...

[KLN]

CNN

'At least 20 dead' in campus shootings

At least 20 dead in campus shootings(CNN) -- The Virginia Tech police chief said at least 20 people were killed in twin shootings on the Blacksburg campus Monday morning."Some victims were shot in a classroom," Chief Wendell Flinchum said, adding that the gunman was dead.

"Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions," said university President Charles Steger. "The university is shocked and indeed horrified."

The attacks mark the worst school shooting incident since 1999 when Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris killed 12 students and a teacher before killing themselves at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.

A hospital spokeswoman told The Associated Press that 17 Virginia Tech students were being treated for gunshot wounds and other injuries.

Sharon Honaker at the Carilion New River Valley Medical Center told CNN that four patients had been transported there, one in critical condition.

One person was killed and others were wounded at multiple locations inside a dormitory about 7:15 a.m., Flinchum said. Two hours later, another shooting at Norris Hall, the engineering science and mechanics building, resulted in multiple casualties, the university reported.

The first reported shooting occurred at West Ambler Johnston Hall, a co-ed dormitory that houses 895 students. The dormitory, one of the largest residence halls on the 2,600-acre campus, is located near the drill field and stadium.

Amie Steele, editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, said one of her reporters at the dormitory reported "mass chaos."

The reporter said there were "lots of students running around, going crazy, and the police officers were trying to settle everyone down and keep everything under control," according to Steele.

Kristyn Heiser said she was in class about 9:30 a.m. when she and her classmates saw about six gun-wielding police officers run by a window.

"We were like, 'What's going on?' Because this definitely is a quaint town where stuff doesn't really happen. It's pretty boring here," said Heiser during a phone interview as she sat on her classroom floor.

Student Matt Waldron said he did not hear the gunshots because he was listening to music, but he heard police sirens and saw officers hiding behind trees with their guns drawn.

"They told us to get out of there so we ran across the drill field as quick as we could," he said.

Waldron described the scene on campus as "mayhem."

"It was kind of scary," he said. "These two kids I guess had panicked and jumped out of the top story window and the one kid broke his ankle and the other girl was not in good shape just lying on the ground."

Madison Van Duyne said she and her classmates in a media writing class were on "lockdown" in their classrooms. They were huddled in the middle of the classroom, writing stories about the shootings and posting them online.

The university is updating its 26,000 students through e-mails, and an Internet webcam is broadcasting live pictures of the campus.

The shootings came three days after a bomb threat Friday forced the cancellation of classes in three buildings, WDBJ in Roanoke reported. Also, the 100,000-square-foot Torgersen Hall was evacuated April 2 after police received a written bomb threat, The Roanoke Times reported.

After the Monday shootings, students were instructed to stay indoors and away from windows, police at the university said.

"A gunman is loose on campus. Stay in buildings until further notice. Stay away from all windows," read a warning from the university.

"Virginia Tech has canceled all classes. Those on campus are asked to remain where they are, lock their doors and stay away from windows. Persons off campus are asked not to come to campus," a statement on the university Web site said.

[winterguy125]

This is just so sadding to me, to see what is going on in our country, I can't believe our country has these kinds of people, so sad. I just checking and now they are saying that 25 people have been killed, and another 28 were injured. Just really sad

[Ryan]

Freakin madness. Freakin madness.......

I will pray for all who have been affected by this tragedy.

[DrewH]

Damn, as someone that just came in from class and to see this, it's baffling. They're now saying that this is the deadliest college shooting in US history.

[Actor87]

Jut saw this all on CNN. So freaking sad. Just horrible.

Now, they have an exact count. 22 people dead. They also found the gunman dead wall-a-go and plice are investiagting whether he shot himself.

CNN is reporting it as the worst campus shooting in U.S. history. They said something about how some guy climbed on top of a building and shot downward back in like 1966. They said that That was the worst campus shooting but now this is.

[Danni]

Never mind...

[Kylie]

that's so terrible. I'm sitting in class right now, and I can't imagine. So shocking and sooooooooo sad. I'll pray for all of them.

This almost made me completely lose it, because the title says Virigina Campus and I have a really good friend at UVA. I'm just glad I don't have to worry about her too.

[Sweet_VeeVee24]

I know there is hate in the world, but it is so saddening and sick at the same time as to how far hate can go.

I

[Kwing42]

Fox is now saying up to 32 dead.

What a waste of lives..what a tragedy.

This is just horrible.

Danni, did you know someone at VT...your message confuses/concerns me?

[Kylie]

32? Oh god. Do they have any idea why or who?

[alwaysAMC]

This is horrible.

FOX News is saying this is the worst mass shooting in US History.

Now usually I wouldn't question this - but why aren't the soaps interrupted right about this? After Columbine, we got days without soaps for the news coverage. This is much worse. Is it because it isn't high school - younger = worse?

[Kylie]

Well, here on the West Coast, aside from B&B and Y&R (which I don't know if they're airing, in class myself) there aren't any soaps to interupt.

God...

[Scotty]

They were just showing on tv the US House of Representatives and the US Senate as they were taking a moment of silence for the victims.

And I believe they said that Bush will comment at 4:15 pm et.

This event is truly sad and horrifying.

[Danni]

No. It was an error on my part.

[alwaysAMC]

Well all of ATWT, OLTL, and PSNS just ran their entire hour uninterrupted.

AMC was interrupted for about 10 min....don't know about Y&R, B&B, or DAYS.

We'll see about GH and GL.

Anyway - I'm just surprised considering this is the worst mass shooting in US History and the death toll is continually rising....