BLACKSBURG,B Va.B (AP)B _B AB gunmanB massacredB 32B peopleB atB VirginiaB TechB inB theB deadliestB shootingB rampageB inB modernB U.S.B historyB Monday cuttingB downB hisB victimsB inB twoB attacksB twoB hoursB apartB beforeB theB

universityB couldB graspB whatB wasB happeningB andB warnB students.

TheB bloodbathB endedB withB theB gunmanB committingB suicide,B bringingB

theB deathB tollB toB 33B andB stampingB theB campusB inB theB picturesqueB BlueB

RidgeB MountainsB withB unspeakableB tragedy,B perhapsB forever. InvestigatorsB gaveB noB motiveB forB theB attack.B TheB gunman’sB nameB wasB notB immediatelyB released,B andB itB wasB notB knownB whetherB heB wasB aB student.

“TodayB theB universityB wasB struckB withB aB tragedyB thatB weB considerB ofB

monumentalB proportions,”B VirginiaB TechB PresidentB CharlesB StegerB said.B

“TheB universityB isB shockedB andB indeedB horrified.”

ButB heB wasB alsoB facedB withB difficultB questionsB aboutB theB university’sB handlingB ofB theB emergencyB andB whetherB itB didB enoughB toB warnB studentsB andB protectB themB afterB theB firstB burstB ofB gunfire.B SomeB studentsB bitterlyB complainedB theyB gotB noB warningB fromB theB university untilB anB e-mailB thatB arrivedB moreB thanB twoB hoursB afterB theB firstB shotsB rangB out.

WieldingB twoB handgunsB andB carryingB multipleB clipsB ofB ammunition,B

theB killerB openedB fireB aboutB 7:15B a.m.B onB theB fourthB floorB ofB WestB

AmblerB Johnston,B aB high-riseB coedB dormitory,B thenB stormedB NorrisB Hall,B

aB classroomB buildingB aB half-mileB awayB onB theB otherB sideB ofB theB

2,600-acreB campus.B SomeB ofB theB doorsB atB NorrisB HallB wereB foundB chainedB

fromB theB inside,B apparentlyB byB theB gunman.

TwoB peopleB diedB inB aB dormB room,B andB 31B othersB wereB killedB inB NorrisB

Hall,B includingB theB gunman,B whoB putB aB bulletB inB hisB head.B AtB leastB 15B

peopleB wereB hurt,B someB seriously.B StudentsB jumpedB fromB windowsB inB panic. AlecB Calhoun,B aB 20-year-oldB junior,B saidB heB wasB inB aB 9:05B a.m.B

mechanicsB classB whenB heB andB classmatesB heardB aB thunderousB soundB fromB

theB classroomB nextB doorB _B “whatB soundedB likeB anB enormousB hammer.”

ScreamsB followedB anB instantB later,B andB theB bangingB continued.B WhenB

studentsB realizedB theB soundsB wereB gunshots,B CalhounB said,B heB startedB

flippingB overB desksB forB hidingB places.B OthersB dashedB toB theB windowsB ofB

theB second-floorB classroom,B kickingB outB theB screensB andB jumpingB fromB

theB ledgeB ofB RoomB 204,B heB said.

“IB must’veB beenB theB eighthB orB ninthB personB whoB jumped,B andB IB thinkB

IB wasB theB last,”B saidB Calhoun,B ofB Waynesboro,B Va.B HeB landedB inB aB bushB

andB ran.

CalhounB saidB thatB theB twoB studentsB behindB himB wereB shot,B butB thatB

heB believedB theyB survived.B JustB beforeB heB climbedB outB theB window,B

CalhounB said,B heB turnedB toB lookB atB theB professor,B whoB hadB stayedB

behind,B perhapsB toB blockB theB door.

TheB instructorB wasB killed,B heB said.

AtB anB eveningB newsB conference,B PoliceB ChiefB WendellB FlinchumB

refusedB toB dismissB theB possibilityB thatB aB co-conspiratorB orB second shooterB wasB involved.B HeB saidB policeB hadB interviewedB aB maleB whoB wasB aB “personB ofB interest”B inB theB dormB shootingB whoB knewB oneB ofB the victims, but heB declinedB toB giveB details.

“I’mB notB sayingB there’sB aB gunmanB onB theB loose,”B FlinchumB said.B

BallisticsB testsB willB helpB explainB whatB happened,B heB said.

ShereeB Mixell,B aB spokeswomanB forB theB federalB BureauB ofB Alcohol,B

Tobacco,B FirearmsB andB Explosives,B saidB theB evidenceB wasB beingB movedB toB

theB agency’sB nationalB labB inB Annandale.B AtB leastB oneB firearmB wasB turnedB

over,B sheB said. MixellB wouldB notB commentB onB whatB typesB ofB weaponsB wereB usedB orB whetherB theB gunmanB wasB aB student.

YoungB peopleB andB facultyB membersB carriedB outB someB ofB theB woundedB

themselves,B withoutB waitingB forB ambulancesB toB arrive.B ManyB foundB

themselvesB trappedB behindB chainedB andB padlockedB doors.B SWATB teamB

membersB withB helmets,B flakB jacketsB andB assaultB riflesB swarmedB overB theB

campus.B AB studentB usedB hisB cell-phoneB cameraB toB recordB theB soundB ofB

bulletsB echoingB throughB aB stoneB building.

TreyB Perkins,B whoB wasB sittingB inB aB GermanB classB inB NorrisB Hall,B

toldB TheB WashingtonB PostB thatB theB gunmanB bargedB intoB theB roomB atB aboutB

9:50B a.m.B andB openedB fireB forB aboutB aB minuteB andB aB half,B squeezingB offB

aboutB 30B shots.

TheB gunmanB firstB shotB theB professorB inB theB headB andB thenB firedB onB

theB students,B PerkinsB said.B TheB gunmanB wasB aboutB 19B yearsB oldB andB hadB aB

“veryB seriousB butB veryB calmB lookB onB hisB face,”B heB said. “EveryoneB hitB theB floorB atB thatB moment,”B saidB Perkins,B 20,B ofB Yorktown,B Va.,B aB sophomoreB studyingB mechanicalB engineering.B “AndB theB shotsB seemedB likeB itB lastedB forever.”

ErinB Sheehan,B whoB wasB alsoB inB theB GermanB class,B toldB theB studentB

newspaper,B theB CollegiateB Times,B thatB sheB wasB oneB ofB onlyB fourB ofB aboutB

twoB dozenB peopleB inB theB classB toB walkB outB ofB theB room.B TheB restB wereB

deadB orB wounded,B sheB said.

SheB saidB theB gunmanB “wasB justB aB normal-lookingB kid,B Asian,B butB heB

hadB onB aB BoyB Scout-typeB outfit.B HeB woreB aB tanB button-upB vest,B andB thisB

blackB vest,B maybeB itB wasB forB ammoB orB something.” StudentsB saidB thatB thereB wereB noB public-addressB announcementsB afterB theB firstB shots.B ManyB saidB theyB learnedB ofB theB firstB shootingB inB anB

e-mailB thatB arrivedB shortlyB beforeB theB gunmanB struckB again.

“IB thinkB theB universityB hasB bloodB onB theirB handsB becauseB ofB theirB

lackB ofB actionB afterB theB firstB incident,”B saidB BillyB Bason,B 18,B whoB

livesB onB theB seventhB floorB ofB theB dorm.

StegerB defendedB theB university’sB conduct,B sayingB authoritiesB

believedB thatB theB shootingB atB theB dormB wasB aB domesticB disputeB andB

mistakenlyB thoughtB theB gunmanB hadB fledB theB campus.

“WeB hadB noB reasonB toB suspectB anyB otherB incidentB wasB goingB toB

occur,”B heB said.

StegerB emphasizedB thatB theB universityB closedB offB theB dormB afterB theB

firstB attackB andB decidedB toB relyB onB e-mailB andB otherB electronicB meansB

toB spreadB theB word,B butB saidB thatB withB 11,000B peopleB drivingB onto campusB firstB thingB inB theB morning,B itB wasB difficultB toB getB theB wordB out.

HeB saidB thatB beforeB theB e-mailB wentB out,B theB universityB beganB

telephoningB residentB advisersB inB theB dormsB andB sentB peopleB toB knockB onB

doors.B StudentsB wereB warnedB toB stayB insideB andB awayB fromB theB windows.

“WeB canB onlyB makeB decisionsB basedB onB theB informationB youB hadB atB theB

time.B YouB don’tB haveB hoursB toB reflectB onB it,”B StegerB said.

SomeB studentsB andB LauraB Wedin,B aB studentB programsB managerB atB

VirginiaB Tech,B saidB theirB firstB notificationB cameB inB anB e-mailB atB 9:26 a.m.,B moreB thanB twoB hoursB afterB theB firstB shooting.

TheB e-mailB hadB fewB details.B ItB read:B “AB shootingB incidentB occurredB

atB WestB AmberB JohnstonB earlierB thisB morning.B PoliceB areB onB theB sceneB

andB areB investigating.”B TheB messageB warnedB studentsB toB beB cautiousB andB

contactB policeB aboutB anythingB suspicious. EdmundB Henneke,B associateB deanB ofB engineering,B saidB thatB heB wasB inB

theB classroomB buildingB andB thatB heB andB colleaguesB hadB justB readB theB

e-mailB advisoryB andB wereB discussingB itB whenB heB heardB gunfire.B HeB saidB

thatB momentsB laterB SWATB teamB membersB rushedB themB downstairs,B butB thatB

theB doorsB wereB chainedB andB padlockedB fromB theB inside.B TheyB leftB theB

buildingB throughB anB unlockedB constructionB area.

UntilB Monday,B theB deadliestB shootingB inB modernB U.S.B historyB wasB inB

Killeen,B Texas,B inB 1991,B whenB GeorgeB HennardB plowedB hisB pickupB truckB

intoB aB Luby’sB CafeteriaB andB shotB 23B peopleB toB death,B thenB himself.

TheB massacreB MondayB tookB placeB almostB eightB yearsB toB theB dayB afterB

theB ColumbineB HighB bloodbathB nearB Littleton,B Colo.B OnB AprilB 20,B 1999,B

twoB teenagersB killedB 12B fellowB studentsB andB aB teacherB beforeB takingB

theirB ownB lives.

Previously,B theB deadliestB campusB shootingB inB U.S.B historyB wasB aB

rampageB inB 1966B atB theB UniversityB ofB TexasB atB Austin,B whereB CharlesB

WhitmanB climbedB theB clockB towerB andB openedB fire.B HeB killedB 16B peopleB

beforeB policeB shotB himB toB death.

FoundedB inB 1872,B VirginiaB TechB isB aboutB 160B milesB westB ofB Richmond.B

WithB moreB thanB 25,000B full-timeB students,B itB hasB theB state’sB largestB

full-timeB studentB population.B ItB isB bestB knownB forB itsB engineeringB

schoolB andB itsB powerhouseB HokiesB footballB team.

TheB campusB isB centeredB onB theB DrillB Field,B aB grassyB fieldB whereB

militaryB cadetsB practice.B TheB dormB andB theB classroomB buildingB areB onB

oppositesB sidesB ofB theB DrillB Field.

PresidentB BushB offeredB hisB prayersB toB theB victimsB andB theB peopleB ofB

Virginia,B sayingB theB tragedyB wouldB beB feltB inB everyB communityB inB theB

country.

AfterB theB shootings,B allB campusB entrancesB wereB closed,B andB classesB

wereB canceledB throughB Tuesday.B TheB universityB setB upB aB spotB forB

familiesB toB reuniteB withB theirB children.B ItB alsoB madeB counselorsB

availableB andB plannedB anB assemblyB Tuesday.

PoliceB saidB thereB hadB beenB bombB threatsB onB campusB overB theB pastB twoB

weeksB butB saidB theyB hadB notB determinedB aB linkB toB theB shootings.

ItB wasB secondB timeB inB lessB thanB aB yearB thatB theB campusB wasB closedB

becauseB ofB aB shooting.

InB August,B theB openingB dayB ofB classesB wasB canceledB whenB anB escapedB

jailB inmateB allegedlyB killedB aB hospitalB guardB offB campusB andB fledB toB

theB TechB area.B AB sheriff’sB deputyB wasB killedB justB offB campus.B TheB

accusedB gunman,B WilliamB Morva,B facesB capitalB murderB charges.

AmongB Monday’sB deadB wasB RyanB Clark,B aB studentB fromB Martinez,B Ga.,B

withB severalB majorsB whoB carriedB aB 4.0B grade-pointB average,B saidB VernonB

Collins,B coronerB inB ColumbiaB County,B Ga.

AtB aB hastilyB arrangedB serviceB MondayB nightB atB BlacksburgB

PresbyterianB Church,B theB Rev.B SusanB VerbruggeB gazedB outB atB aboutB 150B

bowedB heads.

“DeathB hasB comeB trundlingB intoB ourB life,B aB suddenB andB savageB entityB

layingB wasteB toB ourB heartsB andB makingB desolateB ourB minds,”B VerbruggeB

saidB duringB aB prayer.B “WeB needB nowB theB consolationB onlyB youB canB give.”

AfterB theB service,B Clark’sB friendB GregoryB Walton,B aB 25-year-oldB whoB

graduatedB lastB year,B saidB heB fearedB hisB nightmareB hadB justB begun.

“IB knewB whenB theB numberB wasB soB largeB thatB IB wouldB knowB atB leastB oneB

personB onB thatB list,”B saidB Walton,B aB banquetB manager.B “IB don’tB wantB toB

lookB atB thatB list.B IB don’tB wantB to.

“It’sB just,B it’sB goingB toB beB horrible,B andB it’sB goingB toB getB worseB beforeB itB getsB better.”

This article and photos on pages 1 and 10 were printed with the permission of the Associated Press.