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CNN Newsroom
Virginia Tech Campus Shooting Kills 22
Aired April 16, 2007 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNSHOTS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Unbelievable. Unedited videotape there from one of our i-reporters. You can clearly hear all the gun fire happening there on the campus. And you can just imagine the chaos that ensued from that.
Joining us on the phone now is Laura Spaventa. She's a sophomore.
Laura, I understand you have just been released from one of the buildings on campus?
LAURA SPAVENTA, VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT: Yes, I have.
LEMON: How you doing?
SPAVENTA: I'm a little shaken up and I just like want to go home. I can't believe it happened here. It's very shocking.
LEMON: Tell us where you were and what you heard, if anything.
SPAVENTA: I was in Shanks Hall, which is located in the upper portion of campus. And we were having class. And all of a sudden we had e-mail saying that, like there was a shooting on campus, and then we were updated with it, saying that, like, classes were being canceled and to stay wherever you were.
LEMON: And Laura, where you were, could you hear anything or was it a surprise to you when you got this e-mail?
SPAVENTA: Right after we got that e-mail we heard five shots on campus, and we could hear the emergency speaker system. So, we all got down underneath the desks and moved away from the windows.
LEMON: Yes. And tell us what other students in the class were doing. Obviously, you were frightened. What was the reaction in your particular room when you got this and then heard the five shots?
SPAVENTA: Everyone was calling family and friends, especially friends on campus to see if they were OK and where they were. One girl had a sister who was actually in West Ambler Johnston. So she called her to make sure she was still OK.
LEMON: So any other -- did you know any people in either Ambler Johnston or Norris Hall?
SPAVENTA: I did not.
LEMON: You did not. Do you know if any of your friends or people you know are involved in this?
SPAVENTA: I -- I have been cut off. The only information I've been able to get is that through phone and through instant messenger. So I've heard many different stories. I don't know what's true and what's not. I don't know if any of my friends were harmed or anything. I'm just, like, really worried. I just hope they'll be OK.
LEMON: It sounds like you're out of breath there and you've a little bit nervous, obviously. In that situation who wouldn't be?
SPAVENTA: Yes. And I just ran from my car to my apartment quick. The phone was dying.
LEMON: Yes. Now I understand from the producers here that -- you're a sophomore at the university. Were you there in August when there was a shooting involving a security guard in August?
SPAVENTA: Yes, I was.
LEMON: Yes. And they say you have some concerns right now? Obviously.
SPAVENTA: Yes. I'm just a little concerned, like why does stuff keep happening here and, like, the school like I wouldn't think that it would happen. And I'm from Philadelphia so my question now is why would I go to a school 6 1/2 hours away when my safety is in jeopardy?
LEMON: Yes. And you know what? We -- our thoughts and our prayers and our hearts go out to you and your fellow students, as well. Right now tell us what you're doing. How far away from the campus are you? You say you just got home?
SPAVENTA: Yes.
LEMON: Do you live on campus or off?
SPAVENTA: I am off campus.
LEMON: You're off campus. What was it like getting out of the building and going through -- did you have to drive or walk or take the bus from your school to your -- to where you live?
SPAVENTA: I had to walk to my car in the commuter lot, and it was just stunning to see how many cop cars were there, and how many ambulances were there. And I had to walk up to an officer and ask him if I could even get to my car, because I wasn't sure at that point if I could or not.
So I was trying to figure out if I wouldn't be able to, how I was going to get back to my apartment.
LEMON: You said we'd be shocked by the -- or stunned by the number of ambulances and cop cars. Describe to us that scene when you're walking to the parking lot. How many did you see? Could you even count them?
SPAVENTA: There -- there must have been at least over 20 or 30 cop cars and ambulances. Like, every street was lined with them. I did not see, like, openings at all, like it was really scary. And like all the cops had, like, vests on, and some had guns in their hands and everything. And it was -- I felt like I was in a war zone or in the middle of like the city or something. It was just very, very unsettling.
LEMON: I have to imagine that at 7:15 in the morning, and then shortly after that the second call came in, did you feel like you were dreaming, like you hadn't awoken -- hadn't awakened from your night's sleep this weekend?
SPAVENTA: Yes. It just seems very, very unreal. Like, none of us could really comprehend, like, what was going on. I think a lot of us were in shock and denial. Like, it still seems like it's so unreal. Like Virginia Tech, like, I felt so safe coming here, and I just really can't believe it happened not once but twice this year. It's just really shocking.
LEMON: Yes. And Laura Spaventa, thank you so much.
That is a sentiment from a number of students and a number of people who have been calling us from the campus. And that is an obvious reaction. When you get word that you have to stay in place in your classroom, and then possibly 21 to 22 of your fellow students and staff members, or even staff members may have been hurt or killed in this incident.
Thank you very much, Laura Spaventa, for that.
You're watching the CNN NEWSROOM. And this is all unfolding as we speak right there on the campus of Virginia Tech. I'm going to send it over to my partner now, Betty Nguyen, who is at the news desk -- Betty.
BETTY NGUYEN, CO-HOST: Yes, Don. We want to really get a scope, an idea of the scope of this shooting here, at least 22 people dead at this moment. Some 21 people injured, according to the Associated Press.
So, just think about that for a second. If you put those numbers together, this is the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. The last one even close to the scale was when Charles Whitman went on top of the tower in the middle of the University of Texas at Austin back in 1966 and opened fire. Twenty-seven stories below, that killed 15 people, including his mother and his wife the night before.
Today we're talking about at least 22 students dead. We want to speak with one of the students there on campus of Virginia Tech. Elizabeth Stewart is her name. And we have her by phone.
And Elizabeth, what I understand is that you got word this morning that something was going on when you heard megaphones outside your window.
ELIZABETH STEWART, VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT: I first woke up this morning about 6 a.m. I was actually supposed to be doing my student teaching today. However, I got sick and decided to stay home today.
I -- at first I woke up, and I thought it was honestly the wind, because we've been under a high wind warning for the past few hours. But I thought I heard something on top of that, and I thought, well, I know that the wind's been bad. Maybe it's something having to do with the weather.
So I got up, checked my e-mail, saw that classes had been canceled and thought OK, what's going on? And it was only a little while later when I checked the web site and saw that there was a shooter on campus
NGUYEN: And what did that web site tell you to do? To lock the doors, stay inside? What did it direct you to do?
STEWART: Well, pretty much had to do what we did last August when we had William Morva running around campus. I got up, locked the door, called my mother at work in Richmond to let her know that I was OK, called to check up on my brother because he's a senior here at tech. And pretty much just turned on CNN and tried to make sense of what was going on.
NGUYEN: We'll talk to you more about what happened in August, but at the same time you understood that your roommate had already gone to class that morning. Was there concern there for you?
STEWART: I was a little concerned, but she works in a lab on the Ambler Johnston. However, she was far enough away (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And called right after I got off the phone. She was OK. So I got that phone call. I wasn't too worried.
NGUYEN: What are you hearing at this moment? Do you know anyone who may have been in West Ambler Johnston Hall or Norris Hall today?
STEWART: Well, ma'am, actually, I worked as a resident adviser for two years here at Tech. I worked in the same area that Ambler Johnston is included. I was a little bit concerned at first, so I started getting on e-mail, getting on instant messenger to make sure that some of my friends were OK. So far I've gotten positive responses back.
But as for Norris, I don't know anybody over there.
NGUYEN: Have you heard about those who, indeed, were injured or possibly killed in this? STEWART: No, ma'am. We haven't heard anything so far. All I'm hearing out of my friends is extreme shock and anger. I mean, we are all so upset right now. None of us can really comprehend what's going on right now.
NGUYEN: Shock I can definitely understand. Anger, is -- do you feel like you're not being protected, that you're not safe there on campus? What's sparking the anger?
STEWART: I really do feel like this is just an isolated incident. Like I said, I worked as an R.A. here for two years. And I worked with VTP (ph). And security-wise, I wasn't too concerned. It's just I cannot believe that somebody had the nerve to bring a gun onto this campus and start shooting up everybody who didn't deserve it. I mean, it's just -- it's just crazy. None of us can really understand it right now.
NGUYEN: It's really hard for all of us to grasp, and when we're talking about at least 22 people killed, not sure if they're all students but at least some are students.
And in talking with you, you had mentioned last August. Folks there on campus have really dealt with a lot within this school year. Talk to us about what occurred back in August and why that has some concern for you today with what happened there this morning.
STEWART: It was just another reminder. I woke up this morning and saw the e-mails that classes had been canceled. That, in my mind, instantly went to back August, because it was the same e-mails we got back then. Classes were canceled, stay inside, lock the doors. If you're off campus, stay where you are. And that's what my mind instantly flashed back to.
At first, I honestly was hoping that it was something having to do with the weather, like I said, because of the megaphones and everything outside. But I saw the thing about the shooter on campus and I just got -- I'll admit, I was a little worried about what was going on. But I mean, it's just complete shock and anger around here right now.
NGUYEN: Has it changed your mind any about whether you want to continue staying at Virginia Tech?
STEWART: No, ma'am. Not at all. I do believe honestly from the bottom of my heart that these are two freak incidents. I came here to Tech as a freshman in the fall of 2002. And I love my school with all my heart and soul. I really do. And I hope that one day, if I ever get married and I'm lucky enough to have kids that they choose to come here.
NGUYEN: That's the spirit. Elizabeth Stewart, a graduate student there at Virginia Tech. We appreciate you spending a little bit of time with us today.
STEWART: Thank you. LEMON: And Betty, it's -- I can't believe that these kids are as calm as they are, calling in. Obviously, some of them are upset, but just you know, an adult...
NGUYEN: Twenty-two people killed on campus today.
LEMON: Yes.
NGUYEN: This is the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history.
LEMON: Yes.
NGUYEN: And so when you try to wrap your brain around that and comprehend, it's enormous.
LEMON: It's just unbelievable. Just a little while ago we heard from the president of Virginia Tech, Charles Steger, and he said that, "Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions." You can certainly understand why.
He held a press conference just a short while ago. Let's take a listen to that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHARLES STEGER, PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA TECH: Well, today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions. There were two shootings which occurred on campus, and in each case there are fatalities.
The university is shocked and indeed horrified that what would befall us. I want to extend my deepest and most sincere and profound sympathies to the families of these victims, which include our students.
We are currently in the process of notifying next-of-kin. The Virginia Tech police are being assisted by numerous other jurisdictions, including Montgomery County. Crime scenes are being investigated by the university police, the FBI, and the state police. We continue to work to identify the victims that have been impacted by this tragedy.
I cannot begin to convey my own personal sense of loss over this senseless and incomprehensible, heinous act.
The university will immediately set up counseling centers. So far centers have been identified in Ambler Johnston and the Cook Counseling Center, to work with our campus community and their families.
Now, here are some of the facts as we know them. At about 7:15 this morning, a 9/11 (sic) call came to the university police department, concerning an event in West Ambler Johnston Hall. There were multiple shooting victims.
While in the process of investigating, about two hours later, the university received reports of a shooting in Norris Hall. The police immediately responded. The shooter in Norris Hall is deceased. There are multiple fatalities. The number of fatalities has not been confirmed.
Victims have been transported to various hospitals in the immediate area in the region to receive emergency treatment. And we will proceed to contact the next of kin as the victims' identities are available.
All classes are canceled, and the university is closed for the remainder of the day. The university will open tomorrow at 8 a.m., but classes will be canceled on Tuesday.
The police are currently staging the release of people from campus buildings. Families wishing to reunite with their students are suggested to meet at the Inn at Virginia Tech, the building we're in today. We're making plans for a convocation tomorrow at noon in Cassell Coliseum for the university to come together to begin the healing process of this terrible tragedy.
That ends my prepared comments. We would be happy to respond to any specific questions that you might have.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, can you tell us if the shooter was a student, and if the -- how many victims, fatal victims there are and (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
STEGER: We do not know if the shooter was a student or not. The case is still under investigation. As far as the victims, some were students, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were the other ones faculty members or...?
STEGER: Still early in the investigation. We have not determined yet who all the victims are as far as whether they're connected to students or not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And how many were there?
STEGER: I don't have the answer for the wounded yet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have a ball park figure?
STEGER: We have a ball park figure on fatalities. It's at least 20 fatalities.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We heard that someone just walked into a classroom and opened fire. Is that true?
STEGER: Some of the victims were shot in the classroom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The gunman walked into a classroom and (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
STEGER: Some of the victims were shot in a classroom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you believe there was one gunman? And that gunman is deceased?
STEGER: At this time we believe it is only one gunman, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And where is that gunman?
STEGER: He is deceased.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there another in custody?
STEGER: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did the gunman shoot himself, or was he...?
STEGER: We're still determining the facts of that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: There's a lot of information that we are still trying to get in this case. A lot of information that investigators, in fact, are trying to seek themselves.
What we do know is that 22 people are dead, at least 21 injured in this shooting. Again, the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history.
I want to take you back to that moment when all of this played out. We have an i-reporter who had some cell phone video that he sent into CNN. This is from Jamal Albarghouti. And I want you just to take for a moment to watch and listen to how this shooting played out on campus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNSHOTS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Just shocking video there. You could hear the gunfire ring out. And just to let you know, this takes us to the scene of what happened there on the Virginia Tech campus.
And we do have Jamal Albarghouti live with us on the phone to talk to us about what he saw.
In fact, I'm learning that we just lost him. We'll get him back.
LEMON: We lost him. But you know what? Earlier this morning in the CNN NEWSROOM, Betty, Tony and Heidi Collins -- Tony Harris and Heidi Collins actually spoke to him.
And just so you know, just getting word from the producers, this has been viewed 120,000 times on CNN.com.
NGUYEN: A thousand times. LEMON: So it's just amazing video from one of our i-reporters. But earlier this morning, as I said, Tony Harris and Heidi Collins spoke with Jamal Albarghouti right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMAL ALBARGHOUTI, VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT/I-REPORTER: The first thing I saw is when the policemen started taking their guns out, and then I knew that this was serious.
I didn't learn anything about the shooting that happened in A.J., but when I saw the guns I knew that this isn't another bomb threat.
Then I started hearing some gunshots far away. It was then, it seemed to me that they were not (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the building where the cops were just near right now.
And then all the cops were trying to get into Norris Hall, and they used like a bomb or something to open one of the doors, or they probably they grabbed a tear bomb in the building. And there was a person in the building trying -- in the second floor of Norris trying to tell the cops that he's in there. And probably trying to guide them in.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Now Jamal, were you able to hear that person?
Again, just to be clear for our viewers, this is apparently Norris Hall, the site of the second shooting that took place at Virginia Tech this morning.
Jamal, you were able to hear some type of conversation between somebody on the second floor and the police officers outside?
ALBARGHOUTI: Well, I wasn't, but I saw his hand from the window.
COLLINS: OK.
ALBARGHOUTI: He was trying to reach outside the window to talk to the cops. So this is what I saw. I didn't actually hear him talking to them but he was -- well, he was -- he was talking to them. I did not hear what he said. I was a little bit far away from there.
COLLINS: OK. All right. Now after we see the pictures here that you were able to capture with your cell phone, we see that you actually moved quite a bit closer as the police went on down, I assume, inside the building. What happened after all of that?
ALBARGHOUTI: Well, I wasn't able to see anything, because the cops came from behind me, and he asked me to leave the area.
COLLINS: Right. I imagine so for your safety, obviously. Where are you now, Jamal? What can you tell us what you know to be happening on campus at this point?
ALBARGHOUTI: Well, after that I had to leave. I left campus. I'm -- right now I'm at my house away from campus.
COLLINS: OK. And you had mentioned, just to be clear for everybody, you had mentioned that you thought initially -- you were not aware that there was actually sort of an event going on, if you will, that there had been a shooting at a different building earlier in the morning.
You had thought this was another bomb threat. You're about the third or fourth person we heard from where the campus was dealing with some bomb threats.
ALBARGHOUTI: Yes. This is the case. I actually didn't even check my e-mail in the morning. I had to go talk to my advisor, Dr. Sanders (ph) in Patton Hall. And I was trying to get into Patton Hall while I was around 300 feet -- Patton Hall, just for you to know, is not that far from Norris Hall where the shooting was happening.
When I was around 200 feet away or 300 feet away from Patton Hall, a guy with probably a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) or someone in Patton Hall, he was shouting to everybody walking outside Patton Hall, telling them, leave the grounds. I didn't understand. How can I believe the grounds, but he was...
COLLINS: Yes. Take cover, in other words. Right. Right. Also just -- go ahead.
ALBARGHOUTI: I just turned around and left. After a minute when I reached the area where I took the video from, I saw the cops with guns, and they were asking everyone to lay down or to leave really quickly. So I knew that this wasn't another bomb threat. I knew that it was something way more serious, so I started taking the video.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And it was.
LEMON: Yes. Jamal Albarghouti, who is a student at Virginia Tech here in the U.S.
We want to welcome our international viewers who are watching us on CNN International from around the country. It is 1:21 Eastern Time here in the U.S. And what happened this morning at around 7:15, there was a shooting on the university campus. It is in Virginia. It's in Blacksburg, Virginia, not far from Roanoke, Virginia.
The latest that CNN has here is that 22 people have died, at least 21 injured in this shooting. And at least two different locations on this campus.
Everyone here shocked and horrified by this. And even the president today, Betty, speaking out, saying that he is horrified by this. Dana Perino holding a press briefing just a short time ago told us what the president of the United States had to say about this shooting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: The president was made aware of the Virginia Tech shootings. He was horrified, and his immediate reaction was one of deep concern for the families of the victims, the victims themselves, the students, the professors and all of the people of Virginia who have dealt with this shocking incident. And his thoughts and prayers are with them.
And we are monitoring the situation, and whereas state and local authorities are in the lead right now. I think that will remain the case. But federal assets are available should they be needed, if Virginia were to request them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And that's White House spokesperson Dana Perino talking about the president's reaction to what has happened on the campus of Virginia Tech today. Again, 22 people killed, at least 21 injured.
And the big question is, why did this happen? What sparked it? What we do know is that it happened in two different sections of campus, at West Ambler Johnston Hall, and then two hours later there were reports of more shootings in nearby Norris Hall.
Now it is believed by police that the lone shooter, according to them, is dead. But they do not know if these shootings were related. So there's a lot of questions there.
Let's get the latest now from our affiliate, WSLS.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... secretary who tells me Governor Kaine, who is in Asia, in fact will be coming home. He's in Tokyo right now. They are rerouting him. He was there for a trade mission to build up business for the area, but they are bringing him back. The proportions of this tragedy so extreme, bringing him back.
He hopes to be here -- it's about a day and a half trip -- in time for tomorrow's convocation, although they may push that convocation at noon back in order to accommodate the governor's schedule. He'll be here tomorrow to be part of, hopefully, the beginning of what will be I think a really long healing process on the campus there. And really, for all of Virginia, for that matter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was going to say. And we just heard some of the words that, you know, were coming out of the White House through the press secretary there. And I think, you know, for us, obviously this is such -- such a big story and such a terrible tragedy for this area and touches so many people's lives.
LEMON: That was our affiliate station there, WSLS. You were looking at coverage the way they're covering that today.
This is the deadliest school shooting, campus shooting, Betty, in U.S. history that you're watching. You're all witnessing here right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
A person who witnessed this, Jamal Albarghouti, is a student on the campus at the university. He was there at the time, shot some just unbelievable, just amazing video. We want to get to him now. He joins us now by telephone.
Jamal, tell us what you heard, where you were at the time, what you saw, and tell us about this video.
ALBARGHOUTI: ... video between Norris Hall -- on my right (UNINTELLIGIBLE) you are seeing video (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
LEMON: Jamal, we're going to have to -- are you having problems? Are you calling us from a cell phone?
ALBARGHOUTI: Yes, actually.
LEMON: Yes.
ALBARGHOUTI: I don't have a land line.
NGUYEN: It sounds a little bit better now.
LEMON: Sounds a little bit better now. Go on. Tell us what -- tell us -- describe from the beginning now.
ALBARGHOUTI: I am between the Norris Hall and...
LEMON: If you're there, can you move, Jamal, closer to a window or some open spot where you might get better reception?
ALBARGHOUTI: Let me try to do that.
LEMON: Yes. And then let us know when you're ready and we'll continue to talk.
But again, 22 people dead, Betty, on the campus of Virginia Tech. Twenty-one people, at least, injured. Again, the president is responding to this. We've been saying it's the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. Our viewers who are watching us from all over the world on CNN International because this -- this story is so big.
We're going to try to get back to Jamal Albarghouti, who shot that video for us. Just this unbelievable video, probably the best pictures we have of the shooting.
NGUYEN: It probably is. And you can hear the shots ring out there on campus. In fact, so many people have been interested in this video, in the story, for the obvious reasons, that that -- this particular piece of video that you're looking at right now has been viewed 120,000 times on CNN.com. That just shows you the importance of a story like this.
Unfortunately, we have to bring it to you. It's not the best news, but it is definitely the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history, something that we don't like to bring to you, but it's the reality of the situation today. I want to get you to the ground there and WSLS, which is our affiliate near the Virginia Tech university campus. And let's take a look at their coverage.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... We're not sure how that number has changed, but a lot of people, a lot of people affected by this. And it sounds like it was in Norris Hall where this really...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bulk of it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right, the bulk of it happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have the numbers there: 28 people being treated, 17 at Montgomery Regional Hospital, four at Lewis Gale Medical Center, which is in Salem, three at Roanoke Memorial in Roanoke City, and four at the NRV Medical Center, which I believe is in Radford.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.
ALBARGHOUTI: The total numbers we have treated. We know 22 people died as a result of this.
The question mark is, is that the end? Is that the final total or will, unfortunately, tragically, that number grow even larger in the course of this afternoon? Our prayers are certainly hoping that it does not, but I don't think we know the end of this just yet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right. And the other big story this afternoon is people trying to make sense of, you know, what they should do if they're still on the campus, in Blacksburg.
We've been reporting the latest information, and I know we've heard that faculty and staff have been told to go home, and a lot of them have made it home. Just, you know, to get off the campus and out of the way.
And the same for students that live off campus. But the students that live on campus still trying to make their way, it sounds like, from different buildings where they might have been stuck in classrooms since as early as, you know, 9:45 this morning.
They might have been sitting there this whole time, because they were told not to leave those buildings. And so a lot of them, from pictures that we got from them, were sitting in their classrooms, even sitting on the floor so that they were away from the windows and would not be in danger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the stark thing about this is, while it's so tragic, this is the second shooting that we've now had on the Virginia Tech campus, in one school academic year.
The first day of classes we dealt with the William Morva shooting. You would think that we really have seen -- if one of these things happens ever in your lifetime, we've seen it. And now in the same school year, we're seeing another shooting, now the deadliest in the history of the United States and the university campus.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, and it's almost the end of this school year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, it's just -- it's just such a tragic situation for all of the students there, all of the -- the whole community to have such -- such a tough year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the things we've been talking a little bit about is how does someone do this? How does one person, able to shoot and kill that many people?
And also, if we can pull that map back up, I want to reference that. Because it gives us also an idea of how does that one person get from -- in a three-hour window, first shooting happening at 7 a.m., the second shooting happening at 10 a.m., roughly a three-hour window.
And it's all the way across hall. The first one happening there on the lower part of your screen at West Ambler Johnston Hall, a residence hall, a large residence hall with almost 900 people living there.
And the second one happening literally almost three hours later across campus, across the drill field, which is a major site V. Tech, full of students and people on any given day. In an academic building, that second shooting.
Julia, it's just hard to comprehend how all that happens in such a wide range of time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, and also, you know, the chance that, you know, at 7:15 that's when that first shooting happened. And then it wasn't until 10 that we're getting reports of the second shooting and some reports coming in from students and just kind of eyewitness accounts. One student said that she got a knock on her door. She lived in that West Ambler Johnston dorm, got a knock on the door from her RA, her residence advisor saying you know what, stay in your room. There has been an incident here, a shooting incident. But then she said this particular student, things sort of relaxed right after that and then this other incident happened so it sounds like there was maybe a lot of confusion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The direct quote on one that from the Associated Press reporting that Amy (INAUDIBLE), a freshman from Martinsville said the shooting happened on the fourth floor West Ambler Johnston dormitory, one floor above her room (INAUDIBLE) resident assistant knocked on her door at 8:00 a.m. to notify students to stay put. Quote, she says they had us under lock down. They temporarily lifted the lock down and the gunman shot again. There certainly will be some questions about how that happened, what the timeline was. Way too early, I would say premature, to be able to figure out any of that as we're still just trying to figure out if the campus is truly safe.
NGUYEN: We've been listening to our affiliate coverage from WSLS as we continue our breaking news coverage of the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history, that at Virginia Tech University today. So far at least 22 people are dead. We do have on the phone Alex Semonite, who is a junior there at Virginia Tech and he joins us now to talk about what he saw and heard because as I understand it, Alex, you were right next to a building which was there by West Ambler Johnston Hall and you saw police with their guns drawn and then heard gunfire. Tell me how this played out for you.
ALEX SEMONITE, VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT: I was over in the Shipper (ph) health center and came out around 9:30. I saw all the cop cars outside at West Ambler Johnston. I heard somebody say that there was a shot fired so I immediately tried to get out of that area, all the cops spread away from that area toward Burrus (ph) which is near Norris. And so I started walking toward my dorm which is near Burrus too. Along the way when I was on the other side of the drill field I heard shots fire and I saw everyone running across the drill field. So I then immediately started running towards my dorm so that I could get into a safe environment.
NGUYEN: If we can put up the map for our viewers, I want to show what you're talking about because you were there near Ambler Johnston Hall where the first shooting took place. In the middle, you can see that kind of circular area. That is the drill field. That's where you were headed toward. And then you can hear and see all the commotion that was going on. Did you have any idea, between the two places that there was one shooting occurring at one place and yet there was something taking place at another or were you only focused on what was happening at Ambler Johnston?
SEMONITE: I had initially heard that there was a shooting in West Ambler Johnson. After hearing that I decided it would probably be good to head back to my dormitory. At that time I saw all the cops leave West Ambler Johnston and head towards the drill field. On my way walking back, I heard the gun shots across from the drill field at Norris and decided I needed to get out of there. I ran to my dorm which is northwest of Burrus.
NGUYEN: And as you were running to your dorm, what else was happening on campus? Obviously others must have been hearing this at the time, you being unaware of what was going on except for just the great nature of gun shots being fired.
SEMONITE: Exactly. There's a lot of construction on campus. We thought initially that it was just the construction or something of that nature. But after the gun shots we saw everyone start running. I immediately told everyone around me to start running, too. We tried to get out of that area as fast as possible.
NGUYEN: Are you still on campus right now?
SEMONITE: Yes ma'am, I'm in Raasch (ph) Hall which is about 500 meters away from Norris.
NGUYEN: What is the situation there at this hour?
SEMONITE: Well, I can't really see anything because there is a building blocking my view, but we've been told to stay in our dorms. They've been making announcements over the PA system that it's an emergency situation, we all need to stay inside. We're concerned about hampering the investigation or whatever is going on outside. We're trying to just stay out of the way, get as much information as we can.
NGUYEN: Do you think that you may have known any of the people who were the victims of the shooting?
SEMONITE: I honestly hope not and my heart goes out to all of those who have been affected by this. (INAUDIBLE) the families and friends of those people.
NGUYEN: I imagine so many thoughts are going through your mind right now. As you try to take it all in and realize that this, as we have learned, is the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. How is that sitting with you?
SEMONITE: I can remember sitting and watching the Columbine shooting and remembering how horrific that was. To be part of something that is even worse than that, is mind blowing and shocking and I think a lot of people around here are still in shock. I don't know that the impact has fully hit all of us yet.
NGUYEN: That's so understandable especially at this hour, this occurring just earlier today. So the plan for today for you and all of the others nearby is just to stay put where you are?
SEMONITE: Yes, ma'am. As far as I've been told, I know that the professors have been evacuated from the area. All of our dorms are in lockdown. Our goal is not to hinder or hamper the situation outside.
NGUYEN: Are you hearing any word as to who the shooter was or what may have sparked this?
SEMONITE: No, ma'am. But there was a bomb threat last week at a couple of engineering buildings and the week before that, there was another bomb threat at an engineering building and Norris is one of the engineering buildings, so we kind of think that it might be related. We haven't heard the official word about that, but just the rumor mill.
NGUYEN: It's got to be unnerving. Are you still there?
SEMONITE: Yes.
NGUYEN: I said it's got to be unnerving to hear these bomb threats and then looking back to August and what occurred there with the prisoner who was on the loose. Were you there at that time?
SEMONITE: Yes, ma'am. The police cordoned off the area right outside my dormitory at Squires (ph), which is across the street from where I was at is is where he was rumored to be. So it was unnerving at that time, too (INAUDIBLE) the whole situation.
NGUYEN: Has this changed your feelings any about whether you want to stay at the university?
SEMONITE: No, ma'am. From what I've heard, Blaine (ph) stadium, which is the football stadium here, 65,000 people, is one of the largest terrorist targets in Virginia. From what I've heard, the police around here are excellent and we have an excellent police team and the way that they have been handling this so far from what I've seen has been the utmost as far as safety.
NGUYEN: All right, Alex Semonite, a junior there at Virginia Tech University. And Don, it just really goes to show everyone that we have spoken with, despite the shock, despite the anger, despite all that they have been through since last August, the bomb threats of this past weekend, obviously the deadliest shooting in U.S. history on a university campus to date, none of them has said that they would want to leave.
LEMON: One, actually one said she was -- I spoke to one earlier before you got up here said she's reconsidering it because she thought she was going to a campus that was sort of out of the way. She's from Philadelphia and not so sure right now about her safety there which is understandable.
NGUYEN: Oh, absolutely.
LEMON: He said mind boggling and shocking and we of course, understand those words. We're not even there and it's the same thing to us. Imagine if we were on the campus when it happened. Some folks were there when it happened. We spoke to one this morning Jamal Albarghouti who gave us a great I-report video and you heard the gun fire. Let's take a look at some of our other I-reporters. These are photos. The first one is from Andrew Robb. He's a Virginia Tech student. You can see there he's looking at police, it appears to be getting ready to either go inside one of those buildings or staging, again another officer is on there, a couple of these pictures. This is again from Andrew Robb. He is a Virginia Tech student. He said that these photos were taken from Cochran Hall. Cochran Hall looks west to -- looks at West Ambler Johnston Hall which is where one of -- the first shooting was actually the 911 calls came from there.
So you see police officers checking out people going into the dorm we're told. Police made everyone remove their back packs, bags and what have you before entering the dorm. The next one is from Jason Joseph. He is also a student at Virginia Tech. He says these photos were taken of police with guns drawn, police cars on the Virginia Tech campus. The photos were taken from Lee hall. Imagine that. You go to school, expect to see students, some faculty, staff, maybe the campus police every once in a while but nothing like this. Ryan Adcock, another CNN I-reporter and Virginia Tech student says cops at Virginia Tech campus near Miles Hall. So this is what students awoke to this morning, 7:15. The sound of gun shots or police sirens racing toward their building and then getting on the PA system telling them to stay in place, an order to stay in place until further notice from campus police. So that's the very latest that's happening now, 22 people dead in the Virginia Tech campus in Virginia here in the United States, at least 21 injured. Some reports from our affiliates, WSLS we saw there said 28. CNN has not confirmed that. But we have at least 21 people who have been hurt, 22 people killed on the campus there.
NGUYEN: As we were mentioning...
LEMON: And those are from our I-reporters.
NGUYEN: The deadliest shooting on a university campus in U.S. history. I'm getting this note from Jim Clancy from our international desk that 7.5 percent of the 27,000 students are outside of the U.S. So there are many international students as we do want to welcome our international viewers. Almost half of them are from Indiana and China who attend Virginia Tech. And the latest statement from the university that we are getting word of is that families wishing to reunite with students are suggested to meet at the Inn at Virginia Tech. The university is planning a convocation as we've been saying tomorrow at noon at Cassell (ph) Coliseum and the community, the entire community, is invited to come. The gun shots though, as we talk about what happened there on campus today, they sent students running for shelter and simply swarming onto the sprawling campus. Students, well they described a scene of utter terror and panic to CNN and this took place just a little bit earlier. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF AMY STEELE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, VIRGINIA TECH NEWSPAPER: Saying that it was basically not chaos going on over there. She wasn't able to -- she could only talk to students. None of the police officers or school officials would really talk to her. One of our other reporters actually lives in West Ambler Johnston so she was there this morning and was getting student reactions, insights what they did when it was happening.
LEMON: Let's talk about, let's back up again. Let's talk about mass chaos. How did that reporter describe it?
STEELE: She was saying there obviously were lots of students running around really crazy. And the police officers were trying to settle everyone down and keep everything under control. I mean of course students are going to be running around when they hear gun shots. Then there are ambulances and fire trucks all over campus. So she said there were a lot of rumors going around saying what they heard, what they didn't hear. I know one of the injuries actually happened from a student jumping out of a window trying to get out and that's how one of the injuries happened. So people inside of the building were trying to get out as well.
VOICE OF MATT WALDRON, VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT: We've gotten a lot of calls from friends and my mom and family and stuff like that. And you think about it, I was pretty calm at the beginning. I'm still calm now. You get a little bit shaky thinking about it. And it was like, you're right in the situation and that could have been me. But I send gratitude out to the people that did get injured, just crazy. It could have been me and it could have been anybody. So if you think about it, really it's nothing to overlook.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. We're going to the press conference happening now from Virginia Tech. Let's take a listen to that.
At this time we believe there is only one gunman. He is deceased.
QUESTION: Did the gunman shoot himself?
We're still determining (INAUDIBLE). Again, it's early in the investigation. We're still determining (INAUDIBLE).
QUESTION: The shooting at the residence hall and (INAUDIBLE) then at Norris. (INAUDIBLE)
LEMON: All right. That press conference happening just a little bit ago and obviously having audio problems with that. We're going to monitor that for you and get to any information that you need from that. Let's speak now, people would be wondering what is going on campus, what is law enforcement doing? What I want to know is how did it improve since that incident in August? What changes did they put in place? Let's talk about police officers and SWAT team members and what they're doing right now and how they might have handled that situation. Joining me by telephone is Aaron Cohen. He is a SWAT trainer. Aaron, all those pictures of the officers and the police and the gear, tell us what is going on and what happened on that campus.
VOICE OF AARON COHEN, SWAT TEAM INSTRUCTOR: What we had on the campus is what we refer to in the law enforcement community is a response to an active shooter. SWAT teams actually since Columbine as a training unit, for a good number of years. And basically their training is designed to enable SWAT to respond quickly and be able to get to the threat as quickly as possible. What happened with the SWAT team, is they have been train, a lot of these responses in actual patrol units throughout the country. These patrol men should have had a lot more training now, been able to gone into the school, been able to move into what we call a diamond formation, where the actual patrol officers stack up in three-man teams and begin a methodical search of the entire building going directly to the threat, not actually waiting outside the school which is what we saw in Columbine.
LEMON: You talk about this diamond formation. You're talking about this is around the building where the call has come from, right?
COHEN: Correct.
LEMON: So then you have this one building that they have gotten a call, a 911 call and you're focusing on this one building. All of a sudden out of nowhere you get a call that another building, a shooting has happened or shootings have happened at another building. Can you plan for that? What do you do in that situation if you're a SWAT team member? COHEN: Well, here's what you do. Actually, the fact is that we don't actually have time to wait for the SWAT team to get there which is why a lot of the SWAT training has actually trickled down to the university police and to the actual metro police departments throughout the country. Thousands of units have been receiving training. The moment they have this active shooter scenario, these guys simply get your vests on. They grab their long rifles which most of these officers actually have in their cars now because they were so outgunned as a result of that North Hollywood shoot out and then because of Columbine. What we have now are cops who are trained to do the exact opposite of what they initially did at Columbine, which is the moment they hear the shooting or the moment they get the report, no matter how many buildings it is, they go right inside the building and they go and find and neutralize the threat. Their job now is to save as many lives are possible. They can't save lives until the shooting is stopped.
LEMON: You said Columbine. Columbine was a big learning experience for everyone. We had not seen a shooting experience like this and this happened in a high school, the Columbine one. This one on a college campus now. How is it, I don't know if you can answer this question Aaron but you are in law enforcement. How is that you get 22 people shot on campus before police or SWAT team members can get to the shooter?
COHEN: You have absolutely no security on campus it's that simple, no prior security layering has been put in place in order to reduce the risk to the students. For whatever reason the policymakers on campus and the people who are responsible for overseeing the security measures through the government for campuses, haven't taken it seriously enough. I can assure you that people will be sitting down and talking and some no nonsense procedures will be looked at. They will or they won't. The fact is, way this guy got in, there is no security on the campus, very simple.
LEMON: No security on the campus. We don't have a response from Virginia Tech. They may differ with that. But we don't know. It just seems like in this day and age we've had so far this year we've had this one and I think there was numerous times that we reported here that you know, schools are on lockdown, there is a gunman. Schools are on lockdown and we report that at least a couple times a month and then you hear about Columbine and you hear about all these situations. We had the Amish school shooting what have you. But it would appear on a university campus where there is a police force of their own, that things may not get out of hand this way, Aaron.
COHEN: I mean, this is the real deal right here. And what needs to happen is look, we're after September 11, we're after Columbine, we after the school shooting of the Amish, we had so many shootings or active shooters, what is referred to in the last couple years, that until you're physically inspecting the bags as people walk into classrooms, I mean somebody walks in with a gun they are going to move and fidget a certain way and there's going to be on their pants. It doesn't take that long to check a few bags and screen people and do it very casually. It doesn't have to be like LAX or like La Guardia. But to have security in place, there is a cost effective way to do it. It needs to be done. As we can see here, 22 people dead, you know, why aren't we checking bags and why aren't we looking for people, why are we pushing these threats a little farther away?
LEMON: Aaron Cohen, you're a SWAT team trainer so answer me this will you. Does it appear we're moving toward a place where we're going to have airport type security before you can enter a college campus with metal defectors and screeners and what have you?
COHEN: I really hope not because I don't think the airport security is that phenomenal. I hope that we can move into a place where we have physical security, inspecting bags and looking at people and reading body language and physically being able to check people before they get in. I hope it's not as time consuming as the airport but I think that we could see ourselves in the next few years get to a place where there is some type of physical security on college campuses. I don't see why not.
LEMON: So Aaron tell me this as well. Several hours now after this shooting, most of the chaos we think probably on the campus now, at least is over. I'm sure there are a number of police officers, SWAT team members, rescue crews already on the scene. So what might these folks be doing now? Are they still looking for another possible gunman? Are they shepherding people out of classrooms? Are they allowing people to go back on campus? What happens right now?
COHEN: Right now what we've done, right now is that probably going through a methodical process of what they call sterilizing the actual campus, which means that now that the actual SWAT team is there, they are probably moving in large numbers through every corner and every hole, sweeping for additional threats, looking for other potential threats as well, as wounded people who they might not have found. This is a college campus and there's a lot of people and what they need to do is they need to be able to find anyone who might be hiding, anyone who might be trying to hide from the police or might just be injured in some corner somewhere. So they are sweeping the area which is what we call it. And they are doing it very slowly. They're using specialized gear. They are using specialized tactics, that allow them to actually open corner ways and pass doorways. They're using mirrors, they might have cameras at the end of these poles that can check into attics and different places that another subject might barricade himself and basically treat this place as if it was still hostile until they have 100 percent clear. And then at that point what they will do is they'll begin to interrogate and begin to start downloading more people on exactly what happened.
LEMON: OK, Aaron, you're a SWAT trainer and I'm sure this is part of your training. I don't think I'm asking you anything outside of your bailiwick. When you have someone like this who is a shooter on campus, is there a typical profile for this type of person that sort of leads the way that you handle these situations?
COHEN: You know, there isn't a typical profile for how we handle these situations. But there is one common thing that we found among all of these active shooters. They typically tend to be in their late teens, early 20s. There tends to be a connection between problems with the home, typically low self-esteem. These kids often have very, you know, complicated childhoods. And also what it leads to is just some type of out lash.
LEMON: So you know the kind of person usually in this situation that you might be dealing with.
COHEN: We're looking for a troublemaker who just wasn't connected properly. He apparently he fell out and he got to a place where he wasn't dealt with accordingly. And usually typically tends to lead to this type of backlash.
LEMON : Aaron Cohen, a SWAT trainer, trouble maker to say the least quoting Aaron there. That's the kind of person that you're dealing with. Thank you very much for joining us. He is a SWAT trainer, definitely has security experience so he can answer those questions Betty when it comes to those types of situations that we're dealing with right now.
NGUYEN: We have a lot that we want to bring you today, surrounding this situation. First of all we want to take you to some local coverage from our affiliate WDBJ. Let's take a listen.
RACHAEL DIPAMPA (ph): Who is your friend that you're worried about?
KALVAN AMARA, VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT: It's our RA Caitlin (ph) and we're just really worried because we haven't seen her at all the entire day.
DIPAMPA: Why are you worried? Was she near the....
AMARA: She was actually in the building when the shootings occurred. Everyone has been released in the building and we haven't seen her yet so we're just trying to get some information.
DIPAMPA: What do you think? Is this a scary time right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's sort of disturbing to have all of this stuff going on. We had the bomb threats the other week and now this and the whole Morva (ph) thing.
DIPAMPA: You guys are freshmen. Your first day here you had William Morva happen and you couldn't go to class your first day. What was that like?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was sort of strange because after my first class they rushed us (INAUDIBLE) and just locked us down there so I really didn't know what to think about what was going on.
DIPAMPA: This is the second time you've been locked down in Virginia Tech this year. What do you think?
AMARA: It's crazy. I mean, I really -- it's just a weird experience to tell you the truth. I'm just flabbergasted. I really don't know what to say.
DIPAMPA: Have you seen people emotional today and upset? I mean obviously 22 people we're hearing right now. What's been going on on campus?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know several people who are in Norris hall at the time. And they just don't want to talk at all. They are really upset right now.
DIPAMPA: And Norris Hall seems to be where the worst of it happened. Is that what you're hearing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
DIPAMPA: But you're checking on people. Is that -- you came here and we've seen other students arriving, just people want to know about the people they haven't heard from.
AMARA: Right. I've been getting calls from my high school head master and just my parents, making sure everyone is OK. So it's kind of a frantic couple hours.
DIPAMPA: We hope you hear from Katie and since you guys are here looking for more information on her right now. Thank you all for sharing your stories with us. We appreciate that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
DIPAMPA: And Keith and Jean, a lot of people are rolling in right now. There's actually crowds of students gathering outside, many of them wanting answers, wanting to know who the injured are and who the deceased are and worried about a lot of people on this campus right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some valid concerns there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CORRESPONDENT I would imagine there is some kind of a protocol of notifying next of kin and then going through those correct steps before a list would be released to the public or to the news media or to other students about who, in fact, these fatalities were. Is that correct?
DIPAMPA: That is correct. And we -- I'm waiting for word. I never had a situation like this, so I'm trying to figure out where to go to find out where to tell people. A lot of people are coming here and asking me. They have been watching TV and they're asking where do we go to get this information? I don't have it right now and I'm trying to talk to the appropriate people and find out where should we be directing people to get information like that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I suppose this information has to be gathered through a very complex intricate process and then disseminated carefully as Jean suggested through the right channels in terms of notifying the immediate family. And only then can they pass it along to classmates and that kind of thing. So it may take all afternoon, I suppose.
DIPAMPA: It may. And I can just tell you there are a lot of people here right now showing up with concerned faces, wondering where their friends are. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's where they are supposed to go. The Inn at Virginia Tech has been set up as the place for family and friends to gather. OK, Rachel Dipampa (ph), thank you very much. Thank you to those students.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a collection of still photographs that have been taken on campus as various -- at various points at which we want to take a look at now. And we are looking at this the for the first time along with you, stills taken obviously of the situation with law enforcement trying to get the matters under control and not knowing who was a suspect and who might have been responsible for this incident. That may be the person that we were told was apprehended and taken into custody on the drill field this morning, Jean.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Someone was taken into custody. We know that initially on the drill field and then it turns out it was not the gunman, that the gunman was deceased in Norris Hall. But like you said, police weren't taking any chances if they weren't sure, they were probably --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This looks like another angle on what we saw in our own video this morning of somebody who was in custody, apparently just for questioning. As we look at these still photographs that have been shared with us that supplement our own news 7 video.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And these were coming from, I believe, showing people being taken out of Norris Hall, I believe that is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does look like those are shooting victims. Perhaps the fastest way to clear the hall, not knowing if the suspect was in custody at that point was to carry them out, not waiting for stretchers or emergency personnel to get in and extract these people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're seeing those pictures for the first time as you are at home and so our description of them is clearly because -- I guess we're going to look at those one more time. So let's take look at those still pictures again coming into us from the Virginia Tech campus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I suppose at the hour, sometime earlier this morning or earlier today, anybody was a suspect.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sure they were. Police were not going to take a chance. If students were told to be inside and some were doing something a little unusual or out of the ordinary, police were going to be cautious. You got that many people injured and killed, they have reason not to be on the safe side today.
NGUYEN: We've been listening to our affiliate coverage from WDBJ. As we want to update the numbers for you now because we're still getting new information in here to CNN, again we still have at least 22 confirmed dead in this shooting, but the number of those wounded has increased to 29, so, 22, at least 22 dead, 29 wounded at this hour. I do want to give you a little more information about Virginia Tech itself. Now, the sprawling campus in Blacksburg has eight colleges and a grad school. It has more than 25,000 full-time students and that is the largest full-time student population in Virginia. The main campus has more than 100 buildings and spans some 2600 acres and even has an airport.
So you can understand why it will take quite some time today for them to allow students to leave their dorms and leave the places that they have been told to stay inside and remain in lockdown. I do want to give you some more information as to what we are learning from the university itself. Here is a listen to what they have, I believe on the website and a statement that they are releasing. I'm going to read it to you right now. So far they say two shootings on campus today have left 22 confirmed dead, including students. There is no word as to how many are students. It also says, families wishing to reunite with students are suggested to meet at the Inn at Virginia Tech. The university is planning a convocation for tomorrow at noon at Cassell Coliseum for the university community to come together to begin to deal with this tragedy. Now, counseling is available at the Bowman Room in the Merriman (ph) Center which is part of the athletic complex for employees who are seeking assistance following today's events. The statement also says all faculty and staff have been released and asked to go home effective immediately. The university will open tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. but classes are still going to be canceled.
LEMON: And can you imagine this, Betty. This is the second time within a year, within about seven, eight months that this has happened. In August the information that I have here, August 2006, which was the first day of classes where classes were canceled at Virginia Tech campus, closed when an escaped jail inmate allegedly killed a hospital guard off campus and during the subsequent manhunt, killed a sheriff's deputy. So these kids are dealing not only with the worst shooting in U.S. history on a campus, but it is the second time that it's happened to them.
NGUYEN: And earlier this week, they had a number of bomb threats and so that's what a lot of students that we spoke with earlier today said when they say the commotion outside, they just kind of figured it was in relation to those bomb threats and then apparently it became the worst shooting that we have in recorded history here in the U.S. on a college campus.
LEMON: We're getting lots of students who are calling in and obviously they are particularly upset about this happening right on their campus.
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