gunman strikes in US

[juddie]

:shock:

At least 31 people have been killed and 10 injured after a gunman went on the rampage at the campus of Virginia Tech university in Virginia, US.
Police say there were two separate shooting incidents - at West Ambler Johnston Hall, a student dormitory, and Norris Hall, an engineering building.

The incidents were about two hours apart. Police say they believe there was one gunman and that he is dead.

It is the deadliest shooting at a US educational facility.

The state university in the town of Blacksburg is home to 26,000 students.

Virginia Tech police chief Wendell Flinchum said that emergency services had received a call at 0715 (1215 GMT) alerting them to a multiple shooting at West Ambler Johnston Hall.

He said that two hours later there was a second report of shooting, this time at Norris Hall.

  The shooter shot the door twice at chest level, which resulted in two holes in the door, one of which hit the podium in the front of the class room and the other continued out the window

Eyewitnesses locked down inside the university buildings have been using the internet to try to glean information about what is happening and many have emailed the BBC News website.

Nikolas Macko was in a mathematics class in Norris Hall when they heard a series of loud bangs in the hallway which prompted a female student sitting near the door to move to close it.

"She peeked out into the hallway, and saw the shooter, so she immediately closed the door. Three other students moved a table that was in front of the room - it seats approximately 40 students at capacity - and barricaded it against the door.

 

"A few seconds later, the shooter tried to open the door, but my classmates kept it well shut, as they held the table against it from floor level.

"The shooter shot the door twice at chest level, which resulted in two holes in the door, one of which hit the podium in the front of the class room and the other continued out the window. At this point he reloaded, shot the door again - this shot did not penetrate - and moved on to the other classrooms," Mr Macko added.

A fleet of ambulances has ferried the injured to nearby hospitals. However, rescue efforts were reportedly hampered by high winds which meant that medical helicopters could not be used.

President 'horrified'

"Some of the victims were shot in a classroom," Mr Flinchum said.

He said that police believed there had been just one shooter involved and that he was now dead at Norris Hall.

They are now investigating whether he was shot by security forces or killed himself.

Mr Flinchum said it was unclear if the assailant was a student, but a number of the victims were.

[mattboyslim]

 Shocking and very sad news.  Sounds liek there will be one hell of a lot of fall out from an incident like this.

[Spud]

Isn't it about time the Yanks sorted out their stupid fucking Gun Laws?

[Rich Pullen]

Isn't it about time the Yanks sorted out their stupid fucking Gun Laws?

Yes. But nothing will happen - they will hide behind a 300 year old legislation, again.

[red macca]

We got gun laws here spuddy and that dont seem to do fuckall.

[RobertT]

We got gun laws here spuddy and that dont seem to do fuckall.

Bit different though when in the US you can walk into a Wallmart and pick up your all but semi automatic shotgun and then get that packet of cookies you were hankering after.

[yeo]

I tell you the Yanks are mental.I use a forum with mostly Americans on it and 75% of them think the way to stop this kind of thing is "more guns"

[red macca]

They were saying last night that there was something like 30.000 gun related murders last year in the usa.If we were to scale that down i would not mind betting thats a simalar ratio to person as the uk.

[TalkTalk]

They were saying last night that there was something like 30.000 gun related murders last year in the usa.If we were to scale that down i would not mind betting thats a simalar ratio to person as the uk.

The USA's population is about five times that of the UK (roughly 250/60 million).

So are there 6,000 killings in the UK every year? Er, no. According to statistics from 2004 there were 68.

[TalkTalk]

PS:

In the UK in the last 9 years a total of 2026 people have been stabbed to death...whilst the number of people killed by a shooting totals 601.

[red macca]

There was 600 shootings last week in london wasnt there

[Bushey Boy]

Guns proper shit me up, while working for some people a few years ago I found two hand guns loaded, that was it I never went back.

Knives and Guns in this country could ruin our future but the government are too soft on it

[TalkTalk]

There was 600 shootings last week in london wasnt there

If you believe the papers, Macca  

[red macca]

Thats sort of what i was trying to say bushey.Everyone jumps on the bandwagon when something like this happens in ameirica yet give it ten years we will be in a simalar position

[thedarkprince]

There was 600 shootings last week in london wasnt there

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