Breaking News: Police arrest suspect in Va. Tech shootings, additional casualties reported
11:59 AM EDT on Monday, April 16, 2007Associated Press
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) -- Shootings in a dorm and classroom at Virginia Tech left at least one person dead and 17 others wounded Monday before police arrested the suspected gunman, officials told The Associated Press.
Police confirmed they had a suspect in custody, the university said on its Web site.
On the Web site, Tech reported the shootings at opposite ends of the 2,600-acre campus at West Ambler Johnston, a co-ed residence hall that houses 895 people, and said there were "multiple victims" at Norris Hall, an engineering building.
The university said there were multiple victims. Government officials with knowledge of the case said there were seven to eight other "casualties."
Students were asked to stay in their homes away from windows. The campus was closed and classes canceled through Tuesday.
"There's just a lot of commotion. It's hard to tell exactly what's going on," said student Jason Anthony Smith, 19, who lives in the building where shooting took place.
Madison Van Duyne, a student who was interviewed by telephone on CNN, said, "We are all in lockdown. Most of the students are sitting on the floors away from the windows just trying to be as safe as possible."
Aimee Kanode, a freshman from Martinsville, told The Associated Press that the shooting happened on the fourth floor of the dorm, one floor above her room. Kanode says students are, "locked in our dorms surfing the Internet trying to figure out what's going on."
Officials ordered the campus closed, the second time in less than a year the 26,000-student campus was shut because of a shooting.
In August 2006, the opening day of classes was canceled and the campus closed when an escaped jail inmate allegedly killed a hospital guard off campus and fled to the Tech area. A sheriff's deputy involved in the manhunt was killed on a trail just off campus.
The accused gunman, William Morva, faces capital murder charges.
One of the students called in tv, cnn I think. Said they jumped from 2nd floor of the original building after hearing the gunshots and screaming, then more gunshots in hallway.I’m sure there are broken bones and lower priority injuries (green)
Colors indicate priority. It is a triage method.
Green is injured but not life threat, walking wounded.
Orange is injured but can wait a couple for medical help.
Red means they need attention now to survive.
Black means dead or will be.