2 people dead (with a report saying one likely the suspect) in shooting at Va. Tech

Submitted by translator82 on

Edit (4:50 p.m.): NBC Washington (WRC-TV) reporting that the second deceased victim is likely the suspect. Cops at Va. Tech presser won't comment on whether second deceased person is the suspect, but a weapon was found near that victim's body. No other incidents reported on campus, the school's website has said it's OK to "resume normal activities."

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Alert-Issued-on-Virginia-Tech-C…

 

Broke around 12:30 p.m.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/crime-scene/post/shots-fired-at-vir…

From Virginia Tech's news twitter feed:

 

@vtnews: A police officer has been shot. A potential second victim is reported at the Cage lot. Stay indoors. Secure in place.

 

@vtnews: Suspect described as white male, gray sweat pants, gray hat w/neon green brim, maroon hoodie and backpack. On foot towards McComas. Call 911
@vtnews: Gun shots reported- Coliseum Parking lot. Stay Inside. Secure doors. Emergency personnel responding. Call 911 for help.

 

Edit: Virginia Tech's website reporting the suspect remains at large (1:26 p.m.) 

Also: This article has a photo of the crime scene, which is in the parking lot of Virginia Tech's basketball arena and near their CCRB equivalent (McComas Hall). Basically, this happened in their athletic complex area.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/breaking/dp-shots-fired-at-virginia-tech…

(Another) edit: 

@Reuters FLASH: Two killed in shooting at Virginia Tech -University spokesman

 

4Philanthropy

December 8th, 2011 at 1:42 PM ^

By overreacting. Regarless If this was an isolated incident or in the same manner in what happended the last time, people will express emotion and concern is a life was taken. The fact that it happens frequently around the country doesn't mean we should become desensitized to tragey.  

Gameboy

December 8th, 2011 at 2:33 PM ^

Here is what I mean by over-reacting.

What happened at VT 2 years ago was a true tragedy where a mad man rained terror down on many innocent bystanders for no reason with pre-meditated, calculated and chilling efficiency.

Equating a random traffic stop shooting to that incident I think cheapens the memory of the original incident. That is the problem I have with people saying "not again" statements.

This is not anything like the real tragedy that happend at VT.

ak47

December 8th, 2011 at 2:42 PM ^

The suspect was seen fleeing towards campus, the parking lot with the original shooting is where most students park their cars on campus and their were shots reported outside of the student activities building, this is no longer just a shooting at a traffic stop, it is involving the campus and clearly the shooter is willing to do anything having already shot and killed a second person who is not a police officer, not the same situation exactly but because in a college town not just a shooting at a traffic stop.

4Philanthropy

December 8th, 2011 at 2:56 PM ^

How you define "real" tragedy, but any time a life is taken, it's tragic man. Whether it was a traffic stop, pre-meditated, planned, unplanned, or otherwise, it's catastrophic because a life was lost. Furthermore, how is it that we know that this man wasn't intentionally planning more mass killings? The answer is we don't. And for people to equate this situation to what took place in the past are not off base with that thinking. I, among many others, first thought back to what happen years ago. The common denominator here is that it has taken place at the same institution. Any time there is a commonality, it's a given to look at the similarities. But in my opinion, you're "cheapening" this tragedy by referring to the last incident as "real" and this one as not...  

Gameboy

December 8th, 2011 at 5:33 PM ^

No one is going to say that a person losing his life in such violent way is not a tragedy.

This is all just a matter of scale. The 2007 event killed 33 people. Most of them had no idea. By some deranged lunatic.

Cops know the dangers they face everyday. It is a dangerous job and many (too many) cops lose their life on duty.

You cannot equate those two events. It would be like equating VT tragedy to 9/11. Things have scales, somethings matter more.

Gameboy

December 8th, 2011 at 1:49 PM ^

If that was the case we would have a post like this practically everyday. This is not really something that belongs on this board. It would be one thing if the shooting involved students, but that does not seems to be the case here.

Guns are prevalent in this society. There will be shootings and people dying everyday because of that. But that is the bargain you make for liberal application of the 2nd amendment.

Gameboy

December 8th, 2011 at 2:25 PM ^

Are you outraged at tens of thousands who die every year from car accidents? Why not? There are FAR more people who die from cars than guns.

But most people just brush off this "tragedy" because that is the bargain that our society has made that the benefits of owning cars is worth tens of thousands lives every year.

Similarly, the society has made the bargain that the benefits off owning guns is worth incidents like this that happen every now and then.

This is "not again" incident. The last VT shooting was a true horror instigated by a mad man. That is not something that happens very rarely. Stuff like that is something we do not expect to happen.

Traffic stop shooting are all too common. Not sure how "not again" applies here.

Sorry for not being impressed with empty "outrage"...

BostonWolverine

December 8th, 2011 at 2:35 PM ^

First off, I'll admit that I initially thought it was another shooting a la 2007. I'm not objecting to your initial thought that it wasn't that kind of incident. I just don't love that the fact that it isn't that kind of incident, so it  isn't as worthy of concern. Secondly, I'm not outraged at all. I am talking about a bigger issue here.

I am talking about the fact that people are desensitized to violent crimes of intent. I believe that speaks to an issue within our national psyche. Also - yes, far more people die from car ACCIDENTS. I don't know the stats, but I'd bet more people die from being intentionally shot with guns than intentionally being hit by cars. This isn't a gun issue. It isn't a politics issue. It's an issue of our makeup as humans. More and more we've come to expect less and less of each other.

 

Gameboy

December 8th, 2011 at 2:44 PM ^

Why are people who die from "accidents" worth any less than people who are killed by intent?

Why should we be only desensitized to accident victims?

There was an accident recently not far from where I live where a 14 year old girl was killed during a highway accident. I care far more about that girl dying than some gang members shooting each other.

And it is over 40,000 people killed every year from traffic accidents.

Gameboy

December 8th, 2011 at 5:17 PM ^

I don't get it. You are basically saying you are desensitized to accident victims and that is okay, but the fact that others are desensitized to traffic shooting is not okay???

It is intellectually dishonest to say that people should be outraged or get emotional if anybody gets killed. People die everyday, everywhere. It is part of life. There are millions starving to death in 3rd world countries now, there are tens of thousands dying from traffic accidents, there are thousands getting killed from violence.

You cannot live a normal life getting outraged or emotionally involved with all that death. Getting desensitized to it is a normal response. There is nothing outrageous about it.

ChasingRabbits

December 8th, 2011 at 2:21 PM ^

You do know what happened on the VT campus once before....  right?

2 are dead, one a cop the other ??  in the parking lot of the student recreation building.

Yes, "it's happening again" is a legit reaction to this news.  And it is slightly more relevant on a UM football blog than your typical 'someone shot' story because we do happen to play some VT students that frequent the athletic complex, in a little over 3 weeks.

Just say'n.

 

RickH

December 8th, 2011 at 2:24 PM ^

Yeah it was from a traffic stop but let's be honest here, Tech has way more incidents than other schools.  Two years ago we had the exchange student who was stabbed to death and then decapitated in the grad cafe.  Remember that couple that was shot in the woods and they never solved the case?  Those are two really, really messed up incidents that I can think of off the top of my head.

Also, Morgan Harrington; though she was actually on UVA campus and not Tech's, but still a VT student close to home.  We've (I'm a student, feel like I constantly say that) had way more than our fair share of shootings and killings.

RickH

December 8th, 2011 at 2:29 PM ^

Though it feels weird to say 'thankfully' because two people died, I am thankful that it was only two and not another massacre.  I'm guessing two guys got in a fight at the Cage (our huge ass parking lot of to the side of campus) and one pulled a gun and killed the other.  Then he got in his car and a cop happened to stop him slightly down the road for whatever reason and he kills the cop.  Hopefully they catch this kid before he kills somebody else but thankfully it's not another thought-out plot to kill.

BlockM

December 8th, 2011 at 1:28 PM ^

Obviously devastating either way, but is this a shooting that happened near/on the VT campus or is it a school shooting where someone's going after anyone they can find?

Prayers are with everyone involved, I can't imagine what they must be going through.

CRex

December 8th, 2011 at 1:32 PM ^

There was a shooting in a parking lot.  I hope it was something like someone was trying to break into a car, was confronted by a cop, and gunfire was exchange (and now the suspect is running for it) as opposed to some kind of premediated rampage.  As terrible as such a hope sounds, it is the lesser of the two evils here.  

Reports of the suspecting heading in the direction of McComas (which I assume is McComas Hall their rec sports facility) make me worry that the shooter is heading deeper onto campus though.

MrVociferous

December 8th, 2011 at 2:12 PM ^

Statement from Virginia Tech: "Shortly after noon today, a Virginia Tech police officer stopped a vehicle on campus during a routine traffic stop in the Coliseum parking lot near McComas Hall.



During the traffic stop, the officer was shot and killed. There were witnesses to this shooting.



Witnesses reported to police the shooter fled on foot heading toward the Cage, a parking lot near Duck Pond Drive. At that parking lot, a second person was found. That person is also deceased."

Steve Lorenz

December 8th, 2011 at 1:31 PM ^

BUT IF THE MEDIA STOPPED GIVING THE PERPETRATORS THE ATTENTION THEY ARE SEEKING BY DOING THIS, IT WOULD HAPPEN LESS FREQUENTLY. 

Remember what happened during the last shooting? They actually played portions of the videotape that he sent to NBC! 

Edit: OK, it wasn't a school shooting. Either way it's awful news, but it's being covered as if it is 2007 all over again. 

mackbru

December 8th, 2011 at 1:33 PM ^

I'm pretty sure most gunmen don't shoot people in order to get on TV. I'm also pretty sure it would be inappropriate for the media to not alert the public when a gunman is on the loose.

ixcuincle

December 8th, 2011 at 2:04 PM ^

Very sad to hear. I was a senior at VT during the april incident, it was just gut-wrenching. 

It's very sad that they have to deal with this again.