I know a lot of our readers are at work, right now. You’ll see all of this, tonight, when you get home. I’m just putting this up as a placeholder for the moment. We’ll update later.
The Virginia Tech police chief said at least 20 people were killed in twin shootings on the Blacksburg campus Monday morning.
“Some victims were shot in a classroom,” Chief Wendell Flinchum said, adding that the gunman was dead.
A hospital spokeswoman told The Associated Press that 17 Virginia Tech students were being treated for gunshot wounds and other injuries.
The shootings came three days after a bomb threat Friday forced the cancellation of classes in three buildings, WDBJ in Roanoke reported. Also, the 100,000-square-foot Torgersen Hall was evacuated April 2 after police received a written bomb threat, The Roanoke Times reported.
Update: News Services now report 32 dead. Gunman shot almost 50 people.
Proud Alien, explain your post first, it makes no sense. Didnt Canada recently have one of these incidents, isnt Canada tough on gun control? Do you really think criminals such as the shooter today couldnt have obtained a gun illegally? Do you think the government should round up all gun owners and make them turn them in because of this? It will never happen, and it shouldnt. I’m just asking the question.
1. HOW the HELL did he get a GUN into a school?
Esp, Back EAST.
2. If the rest of the students HAD guns, and could shoot back, do you think this would have lasted long??
3. What drugs was he taking…Any of the rest of you taking SAME???
So, this means I have to listen to the inane gun argument for the next couple months…here, there, and everywhere?
More guns = more violence
More guns = less violence
There. I saved myself from reading all those stupid posts. The one statistic I believe is that 98% of all gun stats are wrong or badly out of context.
#22 – How about because each country has a unique set of endogenous variables that differ from country to country. Oh, and introduction to statistics clearly states that correlation, does not imply causality. Another lacking claim in your statement is that control controls laws are “loose.” By whatever do you mean?
#25 – Oooo that’s distasteful.
Apparently ProudAlien has never heard of, or has forgotten, the Dunblane Massacre in which 16 students and one teacher were killed, in Dunblane, Scotland on March 13 1996.
I am a VT grad and local of Blacksburg. The argument over gun control or no gun control clouds another, (IMO more important ) issue: Why didn’t the University close down after the first shooting at 7am? The University had 2 whole hours to shut down classes and protect the students. They had no shooter.. and a confirmed killing at that point (7:15 am)… so why let students go to class?! All the University did was send out an email! It is such a disgrace that the guys who weren’t holding any guns (the President of the University, Charles Steger.. and the administration) were the ones who could’ve stopped the other 25+ deaths… not a gun control issue at all.
In any case, I’m sure we all feel terrible about this and our thoughts are with the victims and their families. Here is not the place or the time to start a gun appreciation discussion.
I think Frank IBC just proved ProudAliens point by going back 11 years to find an example.
Jan. 31, 2006
HB 1572, which would have allowed handguns on college campuses, died in subcommittee.
A bill that would have given college students and employees the right to carry handguns on campus died with nary a shot being fired in the General Assembly.
Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker was happy to hear the bill was defeated. “I’m sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly’s actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus.”
Bet they feel safe today. Guess the shooter didn’t get the memo.
I’m officially bored of this topic
35. I can confirm what you said, I have been listening to a live report from the start of this (one of the students called in during the killings to the talk show, and was reporting cops hiding behind trees with guns drawn during the shootings.) I also went to Va, Tech and grew up in Roanoke, Va., the cops there are your typical campus cops, and the Blacksburg Police arent much better, but waiting to take action is bullshit. Didnt they learn anything form Columbine?
This is a stupid debate. Boring is right.
But I will add one last thing, since this is sort of a tech related blog…..
With enough technology, no one will break the law.
Maybe the shooter is a Democratic Congressional staffer. They needed an excuse to put gun control back on the agenda after they took control, and now they have it.
#26, very funny, I wish I’d have thought of it.
In addition to what #29 said:
“Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
-Benjamin Franklin
#45 – thanks! I was hoping someone else would get it š
#43 – Unless they use better technology to break the law
Johnny, actually there is one more recent than that – Erfurt, Germany, 2002 – 18 dead.
how tiresome. after another mass-murder, another gun-control debate.
outlawing guns will eliminate guns in the exact same way outlawing drugs has eliminated them. the real problem is not the occasional atrocity (like this one) but the day-to-day steady drumbeat of gun violence. that’s where the body count is. what is needed is a cultural change, not more laws.
Am I the only one here who blames an inept security at the campus for all this?
Dont bitch about the debate, then add your comments to it. You cant have it both ways.
One single person, armed with a legal concealed weapon ‘might’ have stopped this guy early on. Instead everyone (unarmed) just ran and hid while this guy walked around for how long…hours?…shooting away with no one stopping him…everyone just ‘waiting’ for the police to show up. The police will eventually show up. They will eventually find and stop this guy (if he doesn’t kill himself first).
Iām not exactly some āgun nutā. Iām a gay Democrat living in ultra liberal Seattle. But I have a (legal) concealed carry permit because Iām not a fan of being a victim, of gay bashing or this kind of insanity weāve seen today. Thereās no guaranteeās in life, but at least I have a āchanceā to fight back. I donāt want to have someone attacking me and be forced to āwaitā until the proper legal authorties show up (if they do) before Iām dead.
You can’t stop crazy. Someone who wants to kill themselves or others always will…with a gun, knife, poison, explosives, car, etc. Nothing theoretically can be done to stop that. The only option available is how you can limit the damage.
#49 I’m sorry, but can you point me to a campus that doesn’t have inept security?
Arguing with Americans about gun control is like arguing about the existence of God with a fundamentalist. You just can’t win against blind faith in that they are correct.
Actually, the facts are not controversial. All reputable research on access to guns in the U.S. confirms:
ā¢The mere presence of a gun in a setting increases the probability it will be used to cause injury or death.
ā¢The persons most likely to be harmed or killed are the gun owner himself or his family, friends or acquaintances.
ā¢Suicide is the primary consequence of gun ownership. (Yes, the people on this thread proudly bragging about their gun ownership are at a high risk of using those weapons to kill themselves. Sadly, their children are also likely to gain access to those weapons and injure or kill themselves.)
The latest study confirming the link between access to guns and suicide was done at Harvard. You can read a summary of the conclusions here:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=518133
That said, I don’t expect to see much dimunition in gun violence in the next decade. The delusions that they are protecting themselves or proving their manhood by owning a gun is too entrenched among much of nation’s male population. However, a continuous campaign against smoking eventually yielded results. That gives me hope that sensible laws about access to guns will eventually prevail.
Guns represent the ability of an energized group of citizens to have a fighting chance to overthrow a government that becomes overly oppressive, grossly infringing on the rights of its citizens. As tragic as today’s massacre was, it would take something much greater to convince me that the government will always represent a lesser threat to life and freedom.
Gary Marks, thanks for demonstrating just the kind of deluded thinking I referenced. The numbers don’t lie. The person a gun owner is most likely to take down with his weapon is himself. Your idealistic jabbering is particularly silly to me as someone who has read the data. You have next to no probability of overthrowing the government, but a very high probability of ‘overthrowing’ yourself.
WOW!!!! I’M NOT GOING TO READ ALL THAT, BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE BELL CURVE, HALF OF YOU ARE BELOW AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE!!!!
Theory:
HERE’S ALL I HAVE TO SHOUT: PISSING OFF GEEKS AND NERDS THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFE UNTIL THEY SNAP ENDS WITH MANY DEAD PEOPLE.
Society currently give 1/3 of NEWS time to current events, 1/3 to weather (is weather really that complicated?!!!?!!!?!!?!!!?!?!?!?), and 1/3 to FRIGGIN’ SPORTS…
Well, the victims lost. Their families lost. The perp lost. The perp’s family lost. YOU LOST.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PUUHHLLEEEEEEEZZZEEEE STOP SUPPORTING PHYSICAL SPORTS 100% WHILE DENIGRATING MENTAL SPORTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jock failure simply become insurance salesfolk, they’re too stupid to go insane. INTELLECTUAL FAILURE LEADS TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO CHANGE THE “SYSTEM” (REALITY), whether they know it or NOT.
#53
Couldn’t agree more. A lot of fundies above. Blinded by “I must be able to defend myself against this and that.”
#53, Stephan,
Well said. I have never thought about some people’s reverence of their second amendment like that before.
#2, Mike,
#1, yeah, thatās the answer, just take away peopleās freedom.
Just like the gun this guy used took away the freedom of at least 32 people.
WHat on earth does this have to do with sports, “Drake”?