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32 Dead in Virginia Tech Shootings
Aired April 16, 2007 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Just some pictures of what occurred today on the campus of Virginia Tech.
You know, it started out as a shooting there. And then it turned into the deadliest shooting on a campus in the history of the U.S. And, then, as the numbers continued to grow, we learned that there are 31 dead at this hour, according to the Associated Press, some 29 injured.
Then, that turned into the deadliest shooting incident, period, in U.S. history.
I want to take you on the phone right now to Tiffany Otey. She was actually in one of the halls where the shooting occurred, in fact, Norris Hall, where most of the victims were shot today.
And, Tiffany, are you with us?
TIFFANY OTEY, VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT: Yes, I'm here.
NGUYEN: I want you to talk with us about what was occurring at the time. In fact, you were taking a test. And then what did you hear and see?
OTEY: I was currently taking a test. It was around like 9:30 or so. We didn't really have much time left. And we were all trying to finish up. And we heard gunshots or something coming from downstairs. But none of us were really sure what was going on.
So, we were all kind sitting there, like, had no idea what was going on. I was about to get up and turn in my test when a girl that I know from my classroom came into the room and was freaking out. She was like, something is going on downstairs. People are running out of the building. There's gunshots going off.
So, we all kind of like -- we -- one of my friends, like, in the classroom decided to call 911. And he was like, I have no idea what to do. Maybe I should call 911.
So, we called 911, and the police showed up and -- outside -- they were armed with guns. At this point, we decided that we should probably go into a room that had a locked door. So, we went into a teacher's office. There were about 20 of us. And were in a teacher's office, and locked the door.
And, at this point, we got online, because we weren't sure what was going on. And we saw about the shooting that occurred in West A.J. this morning. And we had never even heard anything about that this morning. The campus didn't send out an e-mail until later on in the day.
So, we were all kind of freaking out. I mean, gunshots were going off downstairs. And we are sitting in the classroom, freaking out, knowing that half of our classmates had already finished the test and were somewhere downstairs. Like, who knows what was going on?
So, as -- I guess everybody was like freaking out, hysterical. And it was just a really bad experience to be in.
NGUYEN: Well, no doubt.
And, when you say downstairs, kind of paint a picture for us of Norris Hall. When you enter that building, is there an area where people just congregate? So, maybe some of the students who had taken the test were just downstairs talking and, you know, milling about?
What is down there on that first floor, where you heard the shots?
OTEY: The first floor, there's really not so much like a place to congregate. But, to get to each of the three floors, you have to walk down a series of stairs.
And, just knowing that the shooting occurred on the second floor, and just thinking that some of my friends could possibly be the ones that were walking down the stairs, and could have been in the line, like, of fire from whoever was shooting at these people. So, I mean...
NGUYEN: So, what's on the second floor? Is it just all classrooms?
OTEY: Yes, it's all classrooms.
NGUYEN: OK.
And, so, when you are hearing these shots, were you able to tell how many shots were fired? Was it just a number just rapidly being fired?
OTEY: At first, like, we really weren't sure what was going on. It sounded like construction, because a lot of construction is going on always during our classroom at that time.
And, then, like -- it was like a continuous gunfire going off. Like every like second or so, there would be another shot. And there was approximately probably about 50 shots total, like, that came from down in that area.
NGUYEN: Fifty shots, 5-0?
OTEY: Yes.
NGUYEN: And did you hear screams? Did you hear yelling? Could you hear what was going on?
OTEY: At one point, we did hear screaming, because the people were running out of the building. And, at this point, we were all kind of frightened as to wonder, like, what is going to happen to us? We're like sitting there, too, like, who knows if the shooter was going to come up the next floor. So...
NGUYEN: And, as you were going into that teacher's office and you locked the door, at some point, though, police officers came to you and then escorted you, or at least told you to get out of the building. Walk us through how that occurred?
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: How much later from the gunshots and from the time that you got in the room did it take for police to get to you?
OTEY: Maybe 10 minutes later, we were in the room. The police came up. They all had bulletproof vests on. They -- machine guns -- and were telling us to put our hands above our head. And, if we didn't cooperate with our hands above our head, like, they would shoot, and I guess because they were afraid, like us, like the shooter was going to be among one of us.
So, we were told to, like, leave, keep our hands above our head and run out of the building. At one point, somebody didn't have their hands above their head. And one of the cops stated, if you don't put your hands above your head, like, we're going to have to shoot.
So, we're all having our hands (AUDIO GAP) our head, running out of the building, freaking out. And we all got out of the classroom and ran like across the drill field to the other side of campus to get away from the building.
NGUYEN: And, at any time, did you ask what was going on? Did the officers tell you any information?
OTEY: They did not say anything. They just -- there was a possibility -- they just said that it's a possible situation. We had to have our hands above our head and get out of the building.
NGUYEN: And, when you ran out, could you see any of the people who were shot or injured?
OTEY: No. From the stairwell, you can't see any of the other floors. So, once we got to the first floor, you automatically go out the front of the building.
NGUYEN: Tiffany, where are you now?
OTEY: I'm in a friend's apartment.
NGUYEN: OK.
Do you know any of the people who may have been shot or injured? Have you heard any word? What are you hearing at this hour? OTEY: I have not heard anything. I am really terrified, actually, to see the list of people that have been killed, because I'm afraid, like, some of my friends could be among those people. So...
NGUYEN: Yes, I know this is very difficult for you. I can hear it in your voice.
Do you live on campus? Will you be going back to campus any time soon?
OTEY: No. I live off campus. And I really don't want to go back to campus any time soon.
NGUYEN: Yes.
OTEY: Especially to that building. So...
NGUYEN: That's understandable.
Well, we appreciate you sharing what you experienced with us today. Tiffany Otey, we -- we do appreciate the insight that you have given us. Take care. And thanks for your time.
OTEY: Thank you.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And it is 3:05 Eastern time here.
We are following breaking news in a monumental tragedy in Blacksburg, Virginia. Today, a gunman went on a rampage at the Virginia Tech campus.
And here's what we know right now. Officials tell the Associated Press, at least 31 people are dead, including the gunman, who was apparently acting alone -- no word on whether he killed himself.
Now, if the numbers are confirmed, that would make this the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. Police got a 911 call around 7:15 a.m. Eastern, when they were told of the shooting at the West Ambler Johnston coed dorm.
About two hours later, more shootings were reported at Norris Hall, an engineering building. Now, the school will open tomorrow morning, but classes will be canceled. Counseling is available. And the school has set up sites for families to reunite with their children. All faculty and staff have been released and asked to go home, effectively, immediately.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.
We're covering this event, and we have been since earlier this morning...
LEMON: Right.
NGUYEN: ... when we had gotten word that there had been a shooting on the campus of Virginia Tech.
And we have learned, at this hour, according to the Associated Press, that at least 31 people have died in the shooting. Twenty-nine people are injured. Word is spreading throughout the country. And lawmakers are speaking out today in moments of silence, sending their condolences to those involved.
LEMON: Right.
NGUYEN: In fact, the president is going to be making an on- camera statement at 4:15 p.m., just a little over an hour from now. But he did speak, via his White House spokesperson a little bit earlier, and saying that his heart does go out to those involved, and that he is simply horrified at what has happened on the campus of Virginia Tech.
Now, this is no small...
LEMON: No.
NGUYEN: ... university, by any means.
LEMON: It's not.
NGUYEN: It's got 26,000 acres, some 25,000 students. And you look at the two halls where the shootings took place, there's quite a distance between the two.
LEMON: Yes.
NGUYEN: And, as we have been talking, Don, that first shot -- or at least that first 911 call came in at 7:15 this morning. And then we didn't hear anything more about another shooting until some two hours later.
LEMON: Almost two hours later.
Over 100 buildings on campus -- so, you can imagine just how tough it was for law enforcement to try to get a handle on this, once they did get those calls.
NGUYEN: And here's a map of the area...
LEMON: Yes.
NGUYEN: ... where you can see Norris. Actually, Ambler Johnston Hall, you see toward the middle of the screen, is where the first shooting took place.
And you have got to cross the drill field to get to Norris Hall. So, you can see the distance there and the time in between.
And the big question is, the person who carried out this deadly shooting incident in U.S. history, what happened in the span of those two hours?
LEMON: Two hours.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Because, when we spoke with Tiffany, she was taking a test around 9:30. So, you know that, at that hour, that is when the second shooting occurred and where most of the victims were shot and unfortunately killed in this.
LEMON: And a lot of this will come out, obviously, as we get information from law enforcement and also from the university.
As a matter of fact, the university is going to hold a press conference at 4:30 today. And we will bring that to you live, of course, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM -- 4:15 for the president, 4:30 for Virginia Tech University.
And, just a couple of hours ago, Virginia Tech president Charles Steger took us through what happened, sort of gave us a timeline of the incidents here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES STEGER, PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA TECH: At about 7:15 this morning, a 911 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And that is the president of Virginia Tech there.
And a lot of those folks who were injured were taken to Montgomery Hospital.
And, just moments ago, the spokesperson, Scott Hill, from Montgomery Regional Hospital had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT HILL, SPOKESPERSON, MONTGOMERY REGIONAL HOSPITAL: Like I said, I don't really have a prepared statement, other than to say, right now, at Montgomery Regional Hospital, there's 17 patients being treated for various injuries.
We have confirmed that five patients were sent to Lewis-Gale Hospital. They are in stable condition. Four patients were sent to Carilion New River Valley. And two patients were transferred from Montgomery Regional Hospital to Roanoke Memorial Hospital, which, as you all know, is a level-one trauma center.
Those are the counts that we have. We're currently inside right now, making sure that all of these patients have what they need. And we're in the process of working with Virginia Tech to help make sure that these patients' families are notified as needed.
And we're just trying to get through this tragic incident. We're in communication with the folks at Virginia Tech right now.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) the numbers you just gave out, whatever, are those of the 17 that have been transported out, or are those other -- in addition to the 17?
HILL: Right. We -- right. The other numbers I gave out were in addition to the 17. We currently have 17 patients at Montgomery Regional Hospital right now.
QUESTION: So, we can read into the two were that were most (INAUDIBLE) hurt worst...
HILL: Right.
QUESTION: ... went to...
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: Yes, those were gunshot wounds that needed level-one trauma services. And they were transferred out.
QUESTION: Can you say are they all students or faculty?
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: I don't know. I don't know. I can't comment on that.
QUESTION: You were talking about the family being notified. Have all the family members been notified...
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: No.
We are still in the process right now of making sure that we have all these patients properly identified. As you can imagine, some of them came in and did not have any identification on them at all.
And, so, we currently have four patients in surgery right now. Obviously, we don't have identification on them. But we're in the process of making sure that we give out accurate information. And, so, we're -- we're trying to nail that down.
QUESTION: Should friends of these -- I talked to some people, and they don't even know if they're in there or not.
HILL: Right.
QUESTION: So, you are advising people to just stay at home right now, to come in here and check, to leave a name?
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: Well, we are currently taking phone calls at the hospital. But I -- it's my understanding that, at the -- the command center at Virginia Tech, they are working on establishing an information line that people can call.
I do not have that information yet. But I understand they are working on that now.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Can you say that there are any more coming to the hospital? Is it over?
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: We don't expect any more patients at the hospital.
QUESTION: Given the magnitude of this, do you think that -- with the staff on hand, did you have to call in extra arms to come in and do surgery...
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: We did have to call in some extra staff. And we had a lot of folks here on site. And, you know, we kind of rerouted some services today to make sure that we could care for all the patients that we received here at this facility.
QUESTION: Scott, when did patients start arriving here?
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: We received...
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: What was the timeline for you?
HILL: Well, we received our first patients early this morning, after the, I think, what they are saying is the first shooting. Those two individuals came here. And that was...
QUESTION: What is early?
HILL: I -- I...
QUESTION: Seven-thirty-ish?
HILL: Seven-thirty-ish, yes, which is, I think, pretty much who (INAUDIBLE) QUESTION: What are you doing with friends and family that show up here?
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: We have some areas established inside the hospital right now where individuals can come.
We have some grief counselors and some chaplains on site that are working with families as they come in, as they are -- come in to see these patients that are here.
So, we do have some areas that where -- where we're allowing people to congregate. And we're trying to make sure that we're just trying to meet everybody's needs. Right now our primary focus is making sure these patients are cared for.
QUESTION: So, you aren't turning anyone away that's a friend or family member (INAUDIBLE)
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: We're not.
QUESTION: Is the hospital still closed to anybody...
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: The hospital never has been closed.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Are they still taking patients? Like, if I get hurt in a car wreck...
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: Yes. Yes. We are open for business.
OK. Is that it?
All right. As we get more information, we will let you all know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All right, right now, we want to take you back to that video that we have been showing, because, essentially, this is the closest that we can get you, video-wise, to what occurred there on campus today, with the gunfire that rang out, and some 31 people now reported dead and some 29 people reported injured.
And this video, a lot of people have been taking a look at it today. I want to tell you, at least 900,000 hits on to this video. People have been watching it; 900,000 of you have been watching this video.
This is from Jamal Albarghouti. He is one of our I-Reporters.
I want you to watch the video and just listen to it very carefully.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNSHOTS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Just some amazing video there.
Again, it is the closest that we can get you to the worst shooting in U.S. history -- some 900,000 hits on that piece of video alone from our I-Reporters.
In fact, you can take a look at all of the video coming in to CNN and our I-Reporters just by going to CNN.com.
But let me take you back to that video, because you can clearly hear the gunshots. And, just a short time ago, I spoke with our CNN security analyst, Mike Brooks, who has an extensive law enforcement background.
Here, again, are his thoughts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE BROOKS, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: It sounds to be a semiautomatic.
There is a pretty decent space between the shots. But, to me, what this says, Betty, this is someone, this shooter is someone who knew that building. They knew how to move through that building with relative ease, and hitting his victims as they went along.
And it's just tragic. But, you know, the question has been asked, how could 22 people get killed without the law -- without law enforcement getting to them sooner?
As you heard, and you saw on that video that the gentleman had, the I-Reporter had, it was just a steady stream of shots. And, you know, it's hard to say, too, when I said it looks like two -- it sounded like two separate weapons, again, it could also have been law enforcement shooting back at him. And that's why it would have sounded like a separate weapon...
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Well, that's what I was thinking when I heard you say that.
(CROSSTALK) NGUYEN: I thought that it was two different, because you heard one from the shooter, the other from the law enforcement there on the ground.
But I want to stop you for a minute. And I want us...
BROOKS: Sure.
NGUYEN: ... to really look at what you have said. And maybe we can throw up a map as well to understand this a little bit better.
But, from the Ambler Johnston building there to Norris Hall, there is quite a ways. There's a drill field in between. And, when you look at the timeline of the first 911 call coming in at 7:15 a.m., and then it's not until some two hours later that more shootings were reported in Norris Hall.
There's a lot of time in between. So, as, you know, a security analyst, what does that tell you about what was happening there on campus when it comes to campus police?
BROOKS: Well, I can tell you that it's a very, very large campus. I have been there myself.
And it's -- you know, with the confusion like that, Betty, and you have got students running around. You have someone crossing the drill field, and you have officers that are trying to deal with the wounded and people who were shot, as well as other officers coming in to try to deal with the gunman, try to locate the gunman, try to find out where that person is, who that person is.
And it can be a very, very -- very, very confusing scene. And, you know, when you have the Blacksburg -- you had the Virginia Tech police department. They are a very well respected campus police department. They work very closely with the local sheriff's office, as well as the Blacksburg police and the state police.
And we saw them -- we have seen them all on the scene there today. You know, I can tell you, when you come up on the scene of something like that, it's very confusing. But, when you have an active shooter like that, the -- I know the police down there have been trained to deal with an active-shooter situation such as this.
But then you have also got the fire and emergency medical service coming in to deal with the wounded.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: So, there you have it, Mike Brooks, CNN's security analyst.
But I do want to mention something. He had spoken about 22 people dead at the time. That was at the time of the interview. And, as you know, information is still coming in to CNN.
And we have just learned the number has risen now to 32 dead, including the shooter.
So, we are going to continue to update you on all the information that comes in to CNN. And, in fact, the president is going to be speaking in just about an hour from now. And it's going to be an on- camera statement at 4:15 Eastern. And, when that happens, we will bring it straight to you.
But, in the meantime, you have been watching breaking news coverage of the Virginia Tech shooting, which is the deadliest shooting incident in U.S. history.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Just some pictures of this breaking news story that we have been following today, as a monumental tragedy has taken place in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Today, a gunman went on a rampage at Virginia Tech. And here's what we know so far.
Officials tell CNN at least 32 people are dead, including the gunman, who was apparently acting alone. Now, there is no word on whether he killed himself. Now, if the numbers are confirmed, though, that would make this the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
Police got a 911 call around 7:15 Eastern this morning, when they were told of a shooting at West Ambler Johnston Hall, which is a coed dorm. And, about two hours later, more shootings were reported at Norris Hall, which is an engineering building.
Well, the school will open tomorrow morning, but classes are obviously canceled. Counseling is available. And the school has set up sites for families to reunite with their children. All faculty and staff have been released and asked to go home, effective immediately.
There is much more to come on this story.
LEMON: Yes. And, just talking about that, let's tell students and family where they can go. If they are wishing to reunite with their students, Betty -- that information, we just got in a short while ago -- they can meet at the Inn at Virginia Tech.
And the university is planning a convocation for tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. at Castle Coliseum, for the university community to come together to begin to deal with this tragedy. Also, as you said, counseling will be available for all of this.
We do want to tell our viewers, at 4:15 Eastern time, the president of the United States will hold a press conference to respond to the worst shooting in U.S. history, worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
And, then at 4:30, Virginia Tech will hold another press conference to update us on information.
To update us now, CNN's Dana Bash, usually reporting to us from Washington.
Dana, I would assume that you are in the Washington, D.C. area, but you have some new information for us.
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Don, I am. And I am actually in the United States Colin Powell. And I just spoke with two members of Congress from Virginia.
And they just got off of a conference call with Virginia officials to give them the latest on -- on the information, on what exactly -- what happened at the Virginia Tech campus.
Now, both were very, very cautious. Both Congressman Tom Davis and Congressman Randy Forbes of Virginia were very cautious to say that the information they have is early and it is still -- quote -- "in flux."
But they said that what they were told by officials, Virginia officials, on this call is that they believe 31 are dead, plus the gunman; 31 are dead, plus the gunman.
Congressman Randy Forbes of Virginia said that they -- quote -- "do believe the shooter was a student and do believe that he ultimately shot himself."
But, again, I will caution, as he cautioned me, that this is preliminary information, and that they really don't have very much information at all about who the perpetrator was.
They don't know what kind of gun yet was used. And, if they do, they are being very careful to get absolute confirmation before they make that information public, or even make that available to members of Congress from the state of Virginia.
Now, again, these are two members of Congress that I spoke with. Neither actually represents Blacksburg, where Virginia Tech is located, but this is information that they got as part of a conference call with members of Congress from Virginia -- Don.
LEMON: And, CNN's Dana Bash, the information that you are telling us is, of course, very crucial, very important, if you are telling us that 32 people are dead. I think it bears repeating.
Go through it again. You said a conference call, and go through it from that.
BASH: Yes.
And, again -- and I also want to be clear that neither of the congressmen were specific as to who on this call gave them this information. But what they said is that their understanding from Virginia officials is that 31 people are dead, plus the gunman.
So, they believe that that is 32 dead. But, again, they were very careful to say that this information is coming in, it is in flux, and, unfortunately, it could change. LEMON: All right. Thank you, CNN's Dana Bash.
And, just moments ago, we saw both the House and the Senate observe moments of silence...
NGUYEN: Observe moments of silence.
LEMON: ... for -- for the terrible shooting that's happened, and also leading prayer there as well -- after the prayer, then a moment of silence -- but our Dana Bash, again, telling us, according to her sources, that at least 32 people have died in this, 31, plus the gunman.
And they believe that the gunman shot himself. But, again, they are saying this is very preliminary information.
NGUYEN: Right. And the gunman may be a student.
LEMON: Right.
NGUYEN: But, again, all of this is preliminary. None of it has been confirmed at this hour.
LEMON: And neither of the people she spoke to represents the district involved in this shooting.
NGUYEN: Mm-hmm.
But the president will be speaking at 4:15 Eastern, less than an hour from now. And he's going to be sending his condolences to the students there on the campus of Virginia Tech, all those involved who have survived this shooting and those who are just dealing with the aftermath.
And, as we talk about these students, they have been through a lot this year. I want to show you some reaction from the ground there on campus, as you hear it from their words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't understand why they would do something like this. It seems really senseless. And I -- it's really hard to just think about it, why all these people had to die for no reason, sort of.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's insane, just thinking back to Columbine and stuff like that, the shooting at the Amish school in Pennsylvania. It's just utter shock, how anybody could do this to anybody else. And just being here -- it's -- I don't know. It's crazy to me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is something that no one will ever get over. I mean, the people who died, yes, they have finished their pain, but the pain for everybody else will go on forever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just insane. That's just -- that's such a big number. Like, we were already saying this is just like a college Columbine. It's just really sad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's hard. It's hard to think that there's 22 people, 22 fellow students that died today, knowing that I could have been in one of those classrooms. It's shocking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, that 22 has turned into 31, including the shooter.
And, you know, something we have been hearing a lot today, Don, is the word college Columbine.
LEMON: Right.
NGUYEN: A lot of people are equating it to the shooting that occurred there at Columbine High School.
But, when we look back at the event, a lot of folks saying that they are just in shock. And, as we deliver the information to you, it is quite shocking, because, when we first started reporting this, this morning, it was simply a shooting on campus. We didn't know if anyone had been injured.
LEMON: We thought one person had been injured.
NGUYEN: Maybe.
LEMON: Yes, maybe.
NGUYEN: None of that was confirmed.
And then it turned in to be something much, much greater than that. The numbers started rolling in. And then we heard somewhere around 20 people were dead. And that really just sent shockwaves through our newsroom, because no one expected anything of this magnitude.
And, then, shortly after that, the numbers kept growing to 22. And, then, all of a sudden, it was around 30. And now we're looking at 32 total dead, including the gunman, some 29 injured. Hopefully, none of those will add to the list of those already killed in this shooting.
But it is, indeed, shocking. And it's been a very difficult year for these students. Back in August, they dealt with a prisoner who was on the run. A manhunt was under way. And, so, their first few days of class were essentially shut down because of that.
And, then, just a few days ago, they had some bomb threats.
LEMON: Right, at the end of last week.
NGUYEN: And a lot of students that we talked to today were saying that they thought that, essentially, all the paranoia and the panic that was going on around campus today was a result of the bomb threat. Little did they know that it would turn out to be the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
LEMON: Yes. And most people don't even get the incident that happened back in August. You know, a gunman, an escaped prisoner goes on your campus and then goes on a shooting rampage. So, they don't usually get that.
And, then to get bomb threats, and then, of course, this on top of it, which is really sad. And we have been talking about how all of those students are dealing with this.
And, obviously, it's a tragic situation. They are extremely saddened, upset.
NGUYEN: Angered.
LEMON: Shocked, angered. They have used all those adjectives today to describe how they were doing.
One such student, his name is Matt Waldron. He's a Virginia Tech football player. And I talked to him a little while ago. I talked about the confusion and the panic that gripped his campus this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT WALDRON, VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT: I was looking out the back windows of Holden Hall towards Norris. And I -- what I actually saw was police all over the place holding guns and stuff like that on like the fourth -- the third or fourth floor, however many floors are on Norris.
And I didn't know what was happening. Everybody said that there were gunshots that came from the inside. And then like not two minutes later, people came pouring out the door with their hands up and they were screaming and stuff like that.
And I guess two kids had jumped out of the windows and one boy had broken his ankle and the other had -- the girl had gotten pretty shaken up. So they brought them inside Holden Hall where we were standing and they called the ambulance. And they said, everybody get out of here. So we ran across the Drill Field.
LEMON: Yes. And so word passes fast. Moves fast when it comes to situations like this, Matt. And I understand you got a phone call from a friend who doesn't even live here.
WALDRON: Yes. Well, he's a friend that called from Iraq and was just making sure, he was putting out his concerns to everybody here. He is a soldier over there and was just wondering -- making sure everybody was OK. And everybody just -- I'm sure everybody today got a lot of calls from their family and friends just concerning the situation. It's just a tragedy.
LEMON: Yes. And, Matt, I'm sure you can see the irony in that, that someone from Iraq is calling you to see if you are OK over here and they are in a war zone. WALDRON: Yes. His exact words was -- he was like, man, Matt, it's a sad thing -- a day when you are over there in college and I'm in Iraq and you are getting more action than I am today. And as he said, it's a sad thing.
LEMON: Yes. How are -- have you spoken to any of your fellow students, Matt?
WALDRON: Yes. Well, I have my roommates here. Some of them have spoken over Instant Messenger to a lot of my friends that -- some that live off-campus. And actually, I was at Penn State last year and one of my friends from there called me and said that one of his friends was actually one of the boys that had gotten shot.
And he didn't tell me his name or anything like that, wouldn't release that. But they said that he was one of the boys that got hit. And he was just like making sure that I was OK and everything like that. And it just wasn't good.
LEMON: Yes. So again -- explain that to us again, Matt? We have a lot of folks talking to us. Who do you know that got shot?
WALDRON: Oh sure. I don't know anybody that got shot. I was saying one of my friends -- I was at Penn State last year, that's where I went to school. And one of my friends there, one of his that goes to Tech down here was one of the boys that was actually a victim.
And so I don't know his name or anything like that. But that's like one of the only situations I know of somebody that got shot.
LEMON: So, Matt, you are IMing your friends, you are e-mailing, you are talking by phone. What are you guys saying to each other today?
WALDRON: I don't know, just everybody is just kind of shook up and just really can't believe what's going on. Everybody is just kind of stuck in their dorms and everybody is hungry and everybody is just like -- I don't know. It's just weird.
It's not a good situation. It's really hard to explain unless you are like firsthand here thinking and talking about it. It's just hard. It could have been anybody. It could have been any of us out there today. I was like 50 yards from the spot that it happened. That could have been me today laying on my death bed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And that was Tim (ph) Waldron, who is a student there. Definitely an eye-opening day for the Tech students. They will be able to get some help through grief counselors and chaplains, they are already on-site. And the Red Cross is mobilizing dozens of staff and sending them to Blacksburg.
And I just want to give you this information because we heard our Dana Bash report moments ago that she got wind or got news of a congressional call, conference call saying that 31 people were dead, plus the gunman, which would make it 32.
NGUYEN: Which is also what the Associated Press has been reporting for about -- over an hour now.
LEMON: Well, they were reporting 31. The Associated Press was reporting 31. Thirty-two is a new number that we have just heard about. So according to Dana, and those sources that she has, it's 32.
But then again, we have called the governor's office. And the governor -- Governor Tim Kaine, and he tells us their official report in Virginia is 22 deaths. So we're going to get Congressman Forbes on the phone to try to clarify this to see how their information matches up with the information the governor's office has.
But again, this is a fluid situation. So we're giving you this the best we know of. The Associated Press is reporting 31. Dana Bash, who had this call -- or heard about this call from congressmen, she is saying 32. And then again, the governor's office in Virginia is saying 22. That's a report that they have.
So we'll get it all cleared up for you here. Again, a fluid situation. So please stick with us in following all of this.
NGUYEN: Yes. Well, either way you cut it, the numbers are still extremely large. And the carnage at the Virginia Tech campus is the deadliest campus shooting rampage in U.S. history at this point.
The worst such incident up until today took place more than 40 years ago at the University of Texas at Austin. In August of 1966, check out this video, Charles Whitman brought an arsenal of weapons to the observation deck at the school's 27-story tower and opened fire on the people below.
The rampage went on for more than 90 minutes. When it was over, 16 people were killed, 31 were wounded. Now police officers finally reached the observation deck and shot and killed Whitman.
More than 150 people have been killed in random school violence in the last 80 years. One of the worst incidents happened just last fall in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. Five girls were killed after a man took at least 11 students hostage at an Amish school. Remember that? Well, he later killed himself.
And another infamous shooting happened in March of 2005 in Red Lake, Minnesota. You may recall this one as well. A 16-year-old boy killed four fellow students, a teacher and a security officer at Red Lake High School before killing himself.
And this was the school shooting that perhaps most shocked the nation, until today, of course. Two students opened fire inside Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, killing 12 fellow students and a teacher. They then committed suicide in the school's library.
LEMON: And, Betty, just about as close as you are going to get to this shooting is an I-reporter. His name is Jamal Albarghouti. And he was on the campus at the time. He had a cell phone and shot this video. It's an unedited videotape. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNSHOTS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Yes. Whoa is right. That is Jamal Albarghouti. He is a CNN I-reporter. Again, this is what us happening today in Virginia. This shooting starting at 7:15 this morning Eastern time in the U.S. They got 911 calls that there was a shooter. Folks heard shooting and then two hours later they get a call that there's another shooting on campus, not far away from this shooting.
You can see the chaos, of course, ensuing there on the campus after both of these shootings. As it all turns out, we know now at least -- and that's at least 22 people are dead in all of this. There are reports of up to 32 people dead in all of this. And we know as many as 29 were injured. Many of them taken to a regional hospital, a level one trauma center there in the Virginia area. And they were being treated for gunshot wounds.
So all of this unfolding this morning and still unfolding, as we speak, now on the campus of Virginia Tech.
NGUYEN: Well, we do want to get some more information as to the numbers and what exactly happened there on the campus of Virginia Tech. And for that, we want to go on to the phone lines here at CNN and Congressman Randy Forbes, who is joining us by telephone.
Congressman, first of all, we want to thank you for being with us on such a tragic day. But we do want to find out what you know so far about the number of those who are dead and injured in this shooting.
REP. RANDY FORBES (R), VIRGINIA: Well, at this particular time, we have been told that there were 31 dead and then additionally, you had the shooter himself who, of course, is dead at this point in time. So that's a total of 32.
NGUYEN: OK. So what you are hearing is 31 dead, plus the shooter, which brings it to a total of 32. Where are you getting this information, Congressman?
FORBES: Well, we've had briefings today, the members of the congressional delegation. Of course, all of us were very concerned because Virginia is like a large family. And when something happens on one of our campuses like this, it impacts all of us.
And we have actually had briefings today from the governor's office who has tried to keep us up to speed on what was going on.
NGUYEN: Have you heard any information as to who the shooter was? FORBES: No. I think everyone is, rightfully so, being very cautious to make sure they have done a complete investigation before they release any information that might be partial in nature and may not be totally accurate. So we do not have any information at this point in time as to who the shooter was.
NGUYEN: Well, we had heard a little bit earlier from our congressional reporter, Dana Bash, who had mentioned that there is some word circulating there on Capitol Hill that it may be a student. Had you heard that?
FORBES: We have heard that. It was possibly a student. But we, obviously, haven't had that confirmed yet because we haven't had the name of the student confirmed either.
NGUYEN: Do you know how this played out? Was this someone who intentionally went into these buildings shooting specific people? What do you know about the motive here?
FORBES: Very few people know anything more right now than speculation on the motive and exactly how it took place. One of the things, as I mentioned earlier, everyone realizes how important it is to get information out, to get it out quickly, but at the same time, people are being very cautious to make sure we are not giving out information that's in piecemeal that could be an error.
So we don't know at this particular point in time exactly how it played out. We just know the number of people that were killed. We know it was a tragic situation and we know we're very concerned about other students that were transported to four different area hospitals around that community.
NGUYEN: What we've learned from you is 31 dead, plus the shooter, that being a total of 32. What do you know about the numbers of those injured and the extent of the injuries?
FORBES: Well, we don't know very much about the extent. We were told there were 17 -- at least 17 students that were transported to area hospitals. And, obviously, we're very concerned about them because, you know, the nature of their injuries could vary from student to student.
But at this particular point in time, the only thing we know is there were at least another at least 17 transported to local hospitals.
NGUYEN: What do you have to say to the students on campus there -- still on campus today at Virginia Tech and to their families watching and to all of those who are concerned about what has happened?
FORBES: Well, I think first of all, the state has done a wonderful job in terms of dispatching plenty of police officers, state troopers and other people to make sure everyone is there can have a degree of safety and feel safe while they are on campus. At the same time, I think, as I mentioned earlier, Virginia is a large family. And you know, we reach out and put our arms around the students that are there, the victims and their families. And I think across America today we're seeing an outpouring of people wanting to help but also people just saying that our prayers and thoughts go to those victims, their families and to a truly great institution.
NGUYEN: And lastly, how are you doing representing the State of Virginia and as we are learning with the numbers that have climbed pretty rapidly today that this is the worst mass shooting in U.S. history in your state?
FORBES: Well, one of the things that concerned literally every member of the congressional delegation is, as we talked about earlier, these are not just numbers or statistics to us. These can be family members and, you know, people that are your next door neighbors.
And all of us are very concerned as we wait to hear who these people were, because, you know, they have members of their family in our Sunday school classes, in your churches, your communities. And it impacts every single member of the congressional delegation.
That is why we have met earlier. We will probably travel to Virginia Tech tomorrow simply to be able to say we are here and we want to stand with you.
NGUYEN: Congressman Randy Forbes, representing the State of Virginia. Congressman, we really appreciate your time today. Unfortunately, the circumstances are not what we would like, but we do appreciate your time, thank you.
FORBES: Well, thank you. Bye.
LEMON: This is all unfolding in Blacksburg, Virginia, which is not far from Roanoke, Virginia, Betty. And it happened again, as we said, just want to reset this for people, about 7:15 this morning, we got a 911 call from Ambler Johnston Hall at the university saying that there were -- a shooting on the fourth floor.
There had been several victims. And then about two hours later a shooting at Norris Hall. And again reports of multiple fatalities. The shooter -- this is believed -- the shooter is believed to have died here. So there were several victims shot in the classroom, also at the dormitory.
Again, this is happening in Blacksburg, Virginia, on the campus of Virginia Tech, not far from Roanoke, Virginia. And as you can imagine there, the students are stunned. And those are their words coming into the CNN NEWSROOM. Just a short while ago we spoke to some of them. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I see the SWAT team swarmed around Norris. And I had no idea what was going on. And all of a sudden I just hear these -- like these fires going off and like all of these gunshots. And like everyone just started screaming, run. And everyone ran across the Drill Field.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't fathom it right now. Like I'm kind of numb (INAUDIBLE) feelings right now. I don't think it's -- it's ridiculous.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just can't believe it. I woke up not knowing what was going on and just the news. Every second is like new stuff. And the fatalities went from like nine to 20 to 31. It's just insane.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And that's from our affiliate, WDBJ. Joining me by telephone, the American Red Cross, always on top of situations like this. Margaret Sawyer-Cash, she is from the American Red Cross, the chapter -- actually she is the director of the Montgomery-Floyd Chapter of the American Red Cross in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Thanks for joining us today. What are you guys doing to help out?
MARGARET SAWYER-CASH, AMERICAN RED CROSS, BLACKSBURG, VA.: Well, we've been very, very busy since about 10:00 this morning. We've mobilized about 50 local volunteers. We are providing mass care and (INAUDIBLE) help for all of the rescue workers, police, rescue personnel on campus.
We have had help come in from our contiguous chapters, Roanoke Valley chapter sent in an emergency response heating (ph) vehicle to help us out. We've got about 15 mental health volunteers already up and running. We've set up a student comfort center at the local Holiday Inn in Blacksburg, and we're going to begin talking with the students and doing whatever we can to help them out.
And we also have national headquarters, they're sending in a critical response team because this is going to go on for several days.
LEMON: Yes, absolutely. Have you spoken to any of the students yet, Margaret?
SAWYER-CASH: Well, actually, I work with several interns, and they were just in shock this morning, absolutely.
LEMON: Yes. What did they say to you?
SAWYER-CASH: Well, they just absolutely couldn't believe this is happening. They said it was like a war zone out there. They were on their way to come to the chapter to work and it was incredible. Everything was shut down.
There were shots being fired, ambulances and police vehicles and sirens. You would have thought we were in a war zone.
LEMON: Yes. That's sort of my next question. I know that the American Red Cross is always there with any tragedy, whether it's on our shores or sometimes foreign shores. Surprising to you when you see this happening right in your own backyard, I would imagine?
SAWYER-CASH: Oh, it's horrible. We have a lovely little community here, and we feel very safe here. And I think you'll recall several months back we had a similar incident where we had a manhunt on campus. Several police officers killed. It was horrible. This is incredible.
LEMON: Yes. Obviously. Margaret Sawyer-Cash, director of the Montgomery-Floyd chapter of the American Red Cross. She's in Blacksburg, Virginia, exactly where the shooting happened on the campus of Virginia Tech. We thank you so much for joining us today.
SAWYER-CASH: Well, thank you very much.
NGUYEN: Well, there is a lot that has happened today. So let's recap what we know so far. We've been following breaking news, an unimaginable tragedy out of Blacksburg, Virginia. A gunman went on a rampage at the Virginia Tech campus. And here's the information that's coming in to CNN.
There are now conflicting reports about the number of victims. Virginia Tech Police say that they've confirmed 22 people killed, including the gunman. But other Virginia officials, including Congressman Randy Forbes, who I just spoke with, say that there are 32 deaths. And that includes the shooter.
Now police got a 911 call around 7:15 this morning Eastern, when they were told of a shooting at the West Ambler Johnston coed dorm. And then about two hours later, more shootings were reported in Norris Hall, which is an engineering building.
The school will open tomorrow morning but classes, obviously, are cancelled. Counseling is available. And the school has set up sites for families to reunite with their children. All faculty and staff have been released and asked to go home effective immediately.
So as we wait for more information to come in to CNN, we do want to let you know that we should be learning a lot more in the coming minutes, in fact. At 4:15 Eastern, about 30 minutes from now, we will hear from President Bush. He will be making an on-camera statement that is expected to last between eight and 10 minutes.
He obviously is very horrified at what has happened and will be sending his condolences to those involved in what has happened on the campus of Virginia Tech, which turns out to be -- if these numbers are correct, the 32, the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
LEMON: And then we're going to hear from the university too...
NGUYEN: Yes. I was going to say, following that at 4:30.
LEMON: Yes. At 4:30. Because they spoke this morning. They held a press conference, the president of the university. And also the police force as well. The police chief there in Virginia, in Blacksburg held a press conference. But again, that 4:30 is when the president is going to -- 4:15 is when the president is going to hold his...
NGUYEN: The president; 4:30, the university.
LEMON: ... and 4:30 is when the university is going to hold their press conference. Let's talk a little bit more about the University just so you'll know a little more about Virginia Tech itself. The sprawling campus in Blacksburg has eight colleges and also a grad school and has more than 25,000 full-time students. That's the largest full-time student population in Virginia.
Now the main campus has more than 100 buildings and it spans some 2,600 acres and even has an airport. So it's a pretty big campus there.
NGUYEN: Yes. This is a very large campus. And aside from the some 25,000, 26,000 students who attend there, there are a lot of international students as well. And as we've been broadcasting to our international audiences, there are some 2,000 international students, almost half of them are from India and China.
So there is some worldwide interest in this and obviously nationwide interest and real sympathy going out to those involved.
LEMON: And it's a big campus, 2,600 acres, over 100 buildings, so we were talking to a SWAT trainer this morning, just trying to get a handle on that much acreage and all of those buildings is really a tough thing to do.
Betty, we've been talking to students. And we've also been getting some I-Reports in from students and people who were on campus. And this one, let's take a look at it now, it is from Mark Rouse (ph). And he is a student on the campus. Mark says the pictures show McBride Hall and North Hall. He says it shows people -- police evacuating students and students fleeing the area.
Lots of police cars, obviously, and emergency vehicles in that shot. So that again is from Mark Rouse, just looking at the chaos there in campus. And of course, you can go to cnn.com. If you have pictures or video, we want you to stay out of harm's way, but you too can become an I-Reporter. Go to cnn.com/ireport. Click on that icon and send us your pictures and your video. Of course, we would accept them here, right here on CNN.
NGUYEN: Well, the video that we've gotten in today has been truly remarkable, especially that from Jamal Albarghouti who really takes us to the scene of the shooting that took place. You could hear the gunfire just ripping through. You could see the officers on foot with their guns drawn.
And in fact, he just had a cell phone. He had heard about some bomb threats that were issued a little bit earlier, the past few days and just thought that this is just another part of that. And they're checking out to see what's going on.
Here's some of that I-Report video right now. And we're going to pause just as we get a little bit closer and you can really hear the shooting occur. And as we were talking to Mike Brooks earlier, it appears that the person involved in this, the shooter, obviously knew this campus very well to travel the distance that he did.
So let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(GUNSHOTS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Oh, you can hear the screams there. You can hear the gunshots. In fact, I spoke a little earlier with Tiffany Otey. She was in Norris Hall, the building where most of the shots rang out and where we have the most fatalities. And she was just one floor above where the shooting took place.
You are looking at a larger map. The first shooting took place at Ambler Johnston Hall and then moved to Norris Hall about two hours later. And she describes it as some 50 shots being fired. She could hear screaming. And then it wasn't until some 10 minutes later that police arrived with their guns drawn and escorted them out of the building. Because at that time they didn't really know where the shooter was.
LEMON: Yes. And you talked about this video that really took us right to the center of the action. Well, Heidi Collins and Tony Harris spoke to him earlier in the CNN NEWSROOM. And he talked to us about that video and being right in the middle of it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMAL ALBARGHOUTI, VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT: Well, the first thing I saw was when the policemen started taking their guns out. And then I knew that this was serious. I really didn't hear anything about the shootings 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 at Norris Hall, the building where the cops were just near right now. And then all of the cops were trying to get into Norris Hall and they used like a bomb or something to open up one of the doors. Or probably they dropped a tear bomb in the building.
There was a person in the building on the second floor in Norris trying to tell the cops that he's in there and probably trying to guide them.
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: I see.
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 talking to them. I did not hear what he said. I was a little bit far away from there.
COLLINS: 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 about what you know to be happening on campus at this point?
ALBARGHOUTI: Well, after that I had to leave. I left campus. Right now I'm at my house away from campus.
COLLINS: Yes. And you had you mentioned, just to be clear to 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, and 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 that we've heard from now where the campus had been dealing with some bomb threats.
ALBARGHOUTI: Yes, this is the case. I actually didn't even check my e-mails in the morning. I had to go talk to my adviser, Dr. Sanjay (ph) in Patton Hall. And I was trying to get into Patton Hall and 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.
And when I was around 200 feet away or 300 feet away from Patton Hall, a guy with probably an officer or someone in Patton Hall, he was shouting to everybody walking outside Patton Hall, telling them, leave the grounds. Now I didn't understand, how can I leave the grounds? But he was...
COLLINS: Take cover in other words. Right, right. And also just take -- go ahead.
ALBARGHOUTI: I just stand 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 leave really quickly. So I knew that wasn't another bomb threat. I knew that it was something way more serious than that. So I started taking the video.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: I-Reporter Jamal Albarghouti. And he is talking about those bomb threats. You may be a little bit confused, but the reason he is talking about that is because last week -- late last week on campus, they got several bomb threats. Found out about it through e- mail after police and faculty contacted them. So that's what he's talking about. He thought it was another bomb threat again.
NGUYEN: Well, a lot of people that we spoke with today, a lot of the students thought that the commotion that they saw had to do with those bomb threats. And then little did they know that it would turn out to be what indeed it is. At least 32 people killed in this, including the shooter.
Want to let you know that Jamal Albarghouti, who shot that cell phone video -- the incredible video there that takes you to the scene of what was happening as it was happening, he is going to be on CNN's "PAULA ZAHN NOW" tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
In fact, our special coverage of this will occur at 7:00 p.m. We have some primetime coverage of all that has happened today. That begins right here on CNN at 7:00 p.m. tonight.
LEMON: Absolutely. Now let's listen to -- get some word from the folks who are involved in all of this, some of the students now. This is student reaction from our CNN affiliate WDBJ.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was in McBride right over here, and I walked out of class and saw cops standing there. I didn't really think much of it. I walked up. He was like, get away, get away, get away. I looked towards the right and saw the SWAT team and cops over there. I started calling my parents, seeing if they knew anything. And next thing I know, I saw cops running out. People running toward me. I'd say about 50 to 100 people running.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I never imagined it would happen. And just running away from the gun shots, wouldn't imagine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How were you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I was on my way to bio lab, because I had Spanish right before that. And I didn't know what happened. And then I saw a police car flying up the hill by one of the buildings. And we were still walking. And then they just yelled run and everyone started sprinting and then we heard gunshots.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My R.A., who I'm good friends, lives across the hall. She was in the room across the hall in Norris from where a majority of the shootings took place. And we haven't been able to get a hold of her or find anything out about her all morning. So they said on the news they were releasing information here. So we came to try to find what we could.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: And that was student reaction from our CNN affiliate WDBJ. All of this happening of course this morning at 7:15 when campus police got word of a shooting in one of the dormitories there. And then two hours later -- about two hours later, Betty, they got wind of another shooting. Multiple fatalities happening on the Virginia Tech campus. And of course, we're going to be continuing to follow this throughout the evening here on CNN.
NGUYEN: Yes. President Bush is going to be speaking at 4:01, in just a couple of minutes. So you want to stay tuned for that. But in the meantime, we want to send it over to our colleague Wolf Blitzer in Washington who is going to be following all of this for us.
Hi there, Wolf.
LEMON: Hi, Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much.
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