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Breaking News

Law School Dean Among Dead in Virginia Shooting

Aired January 16, 2002 - 15:17   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We are just now getting some breaking news in here. We are continuing to follow the story about the school shooting at the Appalachian School of Law.

We're just now learning that -- we're getting some more information, I should say, about the incident that happened there. We understand six people have been shot and three of them are dead.

And we are joined now on the telephone by Ellen Qualls, who is, basically has been there at the university and has actually -- Ellen, I believe you have ties there with board members of the university. Is that correct?

ELLEN QUALLS, PRESS SECRETARY, GOVERNOR MARK WARNER: Leon, I'm the press secretary to Governor Mark Warner who actually just took office here in Virginia on Saturday.

HARRIS: OK.

QUALLS: But Governor Warner the sat on the board of the Appalachian School of Law until last week when he stepped down from various boards to become governor. So I'm in Richmond, and that's actually about six hours away from southwest Virginia. But the Virginia State Police are the lead agency on this shooting and so they have been giving us some information.

And I don't know what you have already reported but among the three people who were killed, the dean of the law school, Anthony Sutton, is among them. Also another member of the faculty and a student were killed. Three people were injured in the shooting and we don't have details on those yet. The shooter used a .380 automatic handgun and he was apprehended by students at the scene who apparently tackled him and took him down. He's now in custody, and I don't have information on the suspect.

HARRIS: Have you heard any comments at all from the students who were involved? Any idea about exactly why this person did this or did he say anything, he or she?

QUALLS: I can't comment on the motives. I know the governor has been in touch with some of the law school faculty this afternoon. And he's about to go in front of TV cameras here at the state capitol to talk about what he knows. But I don't know anything about the motive. HARRIS: Do you know anything about the status of the campus right now? Has it been cleared? Are students still milling around? Have they been -- did it happen in a school building that they had to evacuate and all? Do you know?

QUALLS: Right. I don't have that kind of logistical details about it.

HARRIS: I understand.

QUALLS: I know this evening, the board of the school was actually meeting up here in Richmond and they were going to have a reception that the governor was going to drop by. He has offered the state planes to them and two state planes are flying them back now to southwest Virginia to return to Grundy.

HARRIS: And at this point, you have no word on the condition of the three who are in the hospital? I understand they are in Buchanan General Hospital right now.

QUALLS: Yes. It's actually Buchanan County.

HARRIS: It's Buchanan, thank you.

QUALLS: Right. OK. And that's about all I know.

HARRIS: OK. Ellen Qualls, thank you very much. We do appreciate you giving us that update at this time. And you have confirmed for us, you just heard it here, folks, one of the dead at the Appalachian School of Law is the dean of the school, Anthony Sutton. And we understand right now, the best we can tell you is that six were shot, three of them have died, three are still in the hospital and we are trying to find out their condition. The minute we get more information, we will bring it to you.

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