IMPORTANT: The report below is an archive of the breaking news at the Virginia Tech shooting on Thursday, December 8, 2011. Incorrect reports are not corrected in the account to show the confusion during breaking news.
A gunman killed a police officer and then killed a second person after a traffic stop Thursday on the campus of Virginia Tech, the school said, and students and faculty were told to stay inside university buildings as police searched for the suspect. [Second person was actually the offender who committed suicide]
VIDEO still frame from Virginia Tech (Fox News video).
UPDATE: Suspect in custody, not confirmed — possibly two offenders. Police officer and another person are reported killed.
A police officer is reported shot about 1:30 p.m. ET Thursday and a possible second victim was reported shot at a parking lot near the Virginia Tech campus, where on April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho, a senior English major at the school, killed 32 students and faculty before killing himself.
PHOTOS FROM SCENE AT VIRGINIA TECH …
Montgomery County schools are on lockdown, which suggests police may believe there is a possibility that the suspect has fled outside of the campus area.
Interviewed on Fox News
Witness Amber Emma Virginia Tech student reports seeing a police officer on the ground and hearing an alert siren from Virginia Tech.Rachell Dallman also saw a dead body surrounded by yellow police line barrier tape.
A student named ‘Garrett’ confirmed there were few details two hours after the shooting, but felt that the lack of details was better than getting snippets of false information.
Students report being notified by text message and hearing a siren alert.
The offender, according to Virginia Tech newspaper Collegiate Times, is described as a white male wearing gray sweatpants, maroon hoodie and a gray hat with a neon green brim. He was believed to traveling on foot and carrying a backpack near McComas Hall, a campus gym.
Police activity is located especially at three locations: Coliseum parking lot, Cage Parking lot and I parking lot.
The Collegiate Times online newspaper, apparently down from a server overload, switched their domain to a page that has embedded Twitter updates. Twitter updates below …
1:48 PM ET … Media briefing at Schott Media Room at 4:30 p.m., according to Virginia Tech.
1:38 PM ET … SWAT team has left after searching Squires Student Center. No suspicious persons inside. Building still locked down
2:27 PM ET … Reports of recent gunshots on campus are unfounded, according to VT
2:26 PM ET … Police are interested in a maroon Mitsubishi car, not sure if that is suspect
2:14 PM ET … Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Guy Sims updates those locked in Squires.
2:00 PM ET … Multiple reports of shots and police activity, but most pressing appears to be in Squires
2:00 PM ET … Students being moved to secure room is Squires Student Center. The Collegiate Times has been evacuated from its office
1:58 PM ET … Shooter at large.
1:58 PM ET … VT releases report: Suspect killed a police officer in Coliseum Lot, then fled toward Cage. Second victim was killed in parking lot.
1:53 PM … Reports of police activity all over campus, now including outside Squires Student Center.
1:51 pM ET … To be clear, latest reports of suspect were near Performing Arts building moving to Torgersen, but no arrest has been made.
1:50 PM ET … Students are reporting shots near Torgersen Hall.
1:47 PM ET … Police emptying the Performance Arts building
1:46 PM ET … Person who surrendered at Performance Arts Building is not under arrest
1:44 PM ET … Also hearing reports of someone running under Latham Hall on other side of campus
1:43 PM ET … Person outside performing arts building surrendered with hands up.
1:42 PM ET… Person who surrendered was wearing gray shirt and jeans. Unsure if he was suspect
1:41 PM ET … Police entering performance arts building on College Ave. One person surrendered. Another apparently at large.
Virginia Tech officials said a police officer and another person were shot and killed on the school’s campus Thursday and the university locked down the campus, where 33 people died in 2007.
Virginia Tech (VT), is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia.
See also …
Twitter hash tags for Virginia Tech #VirginiaTech
Additional background info
Traffic rush took down both @roanoketimes and @CollegiateTimes websites. Looks like http://roanoke.com is back up. #virginiatech