Another Virginia Tech Shooting Puts Campuses On Alert

By Lynn Freehill in Blog on December 8, 2011 at 4:36 pm | No Comments

The biggest news out of American universities today seems too horrible to be real: at Virginia Tech, site of the country’s deadliest school shooting in 2007, another shooting has taken place.

At least two people, including a campus police officer, were killed in what apparently began as a routine traffic stop.

An alert went out, but because there had been previous false alarms on that system, some people decided to come to school anyway, never dreaming it was another shooting on the quiet campus south of Washington, D.C.

In 2007, a Virginia Tech student killed 32 people in a deadly rampage before turning the gun on himself.

On the Forty Acres, Virginia Tech’s shooting brought back to mind UT’s own close call last year. In September 2010, sophomore Colton Tooley brought a machine gun onto campus and fired 11 rounds in the air between Guadalupe and Speedway, then ran into the library and killed himself.

Although he was close enough to have shot others, police said, he seemed to choose deliberately not to do so.

The Texas Exes were saddened by today’s news, and CEO and executive director Leslie Cedar said, “Our hearts and prayers go out to the entire Virginia Tech community in the midst of this tragedy. The societal damage of violence on our campuses runs wide and deep as so many families and friends are impacted.”

She added: “This is truly devastating, and I call on all of our alumni of The University of Texas to extend a hand of friendship to help those who are suffering.”

UT police chief Robert Dahlstrom also extended his deepest sympathy to the Virginia Tech community, police department, and families of the victims on behalf of The University of Texas.

He also reminded the UT students, faculty, and staff to learn more about campus safety and emergency preparedness here.

Photo by Lerone Graham via Twitter

Tags: campus violence, crisis, shooting, virginia tech