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What a Sad Day...Tech shooting

PlantAKiss

Moderator Schmoderator Fluorescent fluorite, Engl
News is conflicting and sketchy but apparently one (or two) shooters went into dorms and classrooms at VA Tech and killed 22 people. :(

I keep reading different reports that say different things so later today information might be more solid.

What a terrible, terrible thing! Its being called the worst school shooting since Columbine.

What kind of person would do such a horrible thing. My heart goes out to all those people who are getting the shock of lifetime today finding out their loved ones are dead.
 
I know this is a bunch of BS. I'm pissed. They say up to like 30 could be dead.

I didn't think it could get worse than Columbine.
 
How did they enter the dorms? Or didn't they say. Was going to say, two strangers couldn't just waltz into the dorms, they are under lock and key...least ours are here...someone could have "let" them in as well if they acted friendly too.
 
I haven't been able to see that much of news reports since I'm at work. I've heard its 32 people dead but the numbers vary.

Everyone here is a wreck. Tech is a popular school and many people either went there, had kids that went there or know someone who went to school there. People are just numb.

Apparently it was one shooter who is dead now but it hasn't been released if police shot him or if he committed suicide. A coworker just told me that the shooter entered one class room, shot the teacher, then shot some students and left. One of the students and one shot student got up and locked the door. The shooter came back and tried to get in, but they braced their feet against the door so he couldn't break in. The gunman shot 6 times at the door but the bullets didn't go through. Talk about heroes...how brave to put yourself in that position to try to save others from being shot.
 
32 dead + the gunman
1st incident at 7.30, 2 dead
2nd incident at 9.30 , 30 dead+gunman
Gunman committed suicide

:-(
 
They didn't close the school after the first incident! I am pissed as hell about that and whoever made that STUPID decision has to live with himself. I hope action is taken against that person/persons.
 
I was wondering that myself, Jlap, but there must have been a good decision for what was done. The coming days and weeks will tell whether that was negligence on someone's part.
 
They thought it was an isolated incident and they figured it was ok. They thought wrong.

If I was in that position I wouldn't trivialize 2 deaths by going on as usual with the rest of the school. He/she/they made a gamble and lost big time.
 
How did they enter the dorms? Or didn't they say. Was going to say, two strangers couldn't just waltz into the dorms, they are under lock and key...least ours are here...someone could have "let" them in as well if they acted friendly too.

A lot of schools, especially bigger state schools have open doors and visitation during certain hours. At my alma mater the doors were unlocked from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Where I work now (a very small school) has doors locked 24 hours a day and every guest is supposed to sign in at the front desk.

Like you said, unfortunately many people just let strangers into the building without thinking about it. It is a very tragic event, and the pain will continue in all those that were involved on that campus. I can't imagine them being able to continue school since it is so close to the end of the school year.

I've been working with some colleagues here on revamping our crisis management plan (mostly for pandemic events). I now know what we will be working on (and rightfully so) in case something like this should occur again.

Clint - it is difficult to manage crisis situations, especially on college campuses. One would think common sense dictates that after even one shooting classes would be canceled at least for the day. However, chaos can cause pretty crazy things. From experience, many times crises management is so variable based on situations, which only adds to the preparedness and response of an institution. It will be interesting to see what comes out about the response of V. Tech.

xvart.
 
  • #10
This is very sad indeed, and totally uncalled for! 32 people dead, for what?? Stupid!
 
  • #11
:cry: As I'm typing this I'm actually crying. I didn't even know these people who died, but I'm stunned...I feel like vomitting...what's happening to the world around us...it's sick...what can make a person absoluley not care about others? :cry:
 
  • #12
Well they were already screwed up to begin with. Normal people don't just snap like that. I'm sure he had underlying issues.
 
  • #13
You'd be surprised what extent "normal" people are pushed to when their despair reaches a certain point.

And don't be so quick to damn inaction. We know for sure that officials didn't stand around doing "nothing". They were aware there was a shooting, and emails were sent around school warning people to stay indoors. In fact, I believe they had that particular dorm on lockdown to ensure no one went in or out.

These situations are never easy to handle. I won't go so far as to defend all the actions they took. I just know that emergencies situations are never cut and dry.
 
  • #14
this was posted today by a Virginia Tech student

http://andrews-dad.blogspot.com/

Bradford B. Wiles

Wiles, of New Castle, is a graduate student at Virginia Tech.

On Aug. 21 at about 9:20 a.m., my graduate-level class was evacuated from the Squires Student Center. We were interrupted in class and not informed of anything other than the following words: "You need to get out of the building."

Upon exiting the classroom, we were met at the doors leading outside by two armor-clad policemen with fully automatic weapons, plus their side arms. Once outside, there were several more officers with either fully automatic rifles and pump shotguns, and policemen running down the street, pistols drawn.

It was at this time that I realized that I had no viable means of protecting myself.

Please realize that I am licensed to carry a concealed handgun in the commonwealth of Virginia, and do so on a regular basis. However, because I am a Virginia Tech student, I am prohibited from carrying at school because of Virginia Tech's student policy, which makes possession of a handgun an expellable offense, but not a prosecutable crime.

I had entrusted my safety, and the safety of others to the police. In light of this, there are a few things I wish to point out.

First, I never want to have my safety fully in the hands of anyone else, including the police.

Second, I considered bringing my gun with me to campus, but did not due to the obvious risk of losing my graduate career, which is ridiculous because had I been shot and killed, there would have been no graduate career for me anyway.

Third, and most important, I am trained and able to carry a concealed handgun almost anywhere in Virginia and other states that have reciprocity with Virginia, but cannot carry where I spend more time than anywhere else because, somehow, I become a threat to others when I cross from the town of Blacksburg onto Virginia Tech's campus.

Of all of the emotions and thoughts that were running through my head that morning, the most overwhelming one was of helplessness.

That feeling of helplessness has been difficult to reconcile because I knew I would have been safer with a proper means to defend myself.

I would also like to point out that when I mentioned to a professor that I would feel safer with my gun, this is what she said to me, "I would feel safer if you had your gun."

The policy that forbids students who are legally licensed to carry in Virginia needs to be changed.

I am qualified and capable of carrying a concealed handgun and urge you to work with me to allow my most basic right of self-defense, and eliminate my entrusting my safety and the safety of my classmates to the government.

This incident makes it clear that it is time that Virginia Tech and the commonwealth of Virginia let me take responsibility for my safety.


this quote is preshooting after VA senitors and Represenitives voted against a bill that would have allowed students and faculty who were legally able to carried concealed weapons to be able to do so on college campuses
Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker was happy to hear the bill was
defeated. "I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the
General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students,
faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus."

imagine what would have happened and how many lives could have been saved if students and faculty who chose to and were legally able to carry a concealed hand gun. alot fewer lives could have been lost
 
  • #15
Just got home from work. What a waste of innocent lifes.
 
  • #16
rattler_mt, I support the right for citizens to carry concealed weapons in a legal, licensed way.

That said, I do NOT support them being allowed on school campuses. Truthfully, I'm almost sickened that this student has taken the stance of "If the law were different today might have been different." Now is not the time to be making these sorts of political statements. He may have been trained to carry and use this firearm, but many states do not require concealed weapons training, and even those that do may not train you to use weapons in combat situations. They may only teach you to carry and fire a weapon responsibly. Without these courses, prospective carriers are not taught how to avoid harming those who you do not wish to hit in some shootout.

You could easily say that, had a student been carrying a weapon, that more lives may have been lost in friendly fire. Or, what if a student carrying the weapon were shot and killed. Now our killer has another weapon. This guy says he wants to protect himself, but it sounds an awful lot like he wanted to run back into that building with his pistol to save the day. That is not the purpose of carrying a concealed weapon.
 
  • #17
nows not the time? hell im already hearing screaming that the second amendment should be repealed.......................when is the time?
 
  • #18
Jeztor brings up an interesting point.

Regarding the shooting:
Honestly, I get numb when I hear stuff like this. I realize that as time goes on, the deeds themselves don't ever change, just the means of accomplishing them. But I still don't understand what pushes someone so far...

I don't know, there just aren't words.
 
  • #19
horrible. did they ever figure out the ID of the gunman? was he a student? what were his motives? i heard that a bunch of the school shooting people had TONS of violent video games and used the game as....practice. this world we now live in sickens me.... im pissed...im going to look at my plants.

Alex
 
  • #20
I have tons of violent games but that doesn't mean I'm crazy. Games don't make people like this.


Well I am crazy, but not in the bad killer way.
 
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