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[infopri]

I watched the entire press conference with the VT president and the police representative.  (I missed his identification, too.  Does anyone know whether he was a statie or a local police officer?)

Those two men deserve a lot of credit, in my book.  They maintained complete equanimity in the face of utter stupidity.  Dumb questions, repeated questions, unanswerable questions, accusatory questions--and they took each in turn and answered it honestly (even when the answer was either "I don't know" or "I'm not going to discuss that at this time").

The most offensive were the accusatory questions.  "Why didn't you lock down the campus and individually inform each and every individual within 15 minutes of the first shot being fired??"  One even asked whether such action might have prevented the second shooting.  Idiots.

the shot CBS showed of what might've been the shooter's body being carried off by police (no body bag) and other victims.  I keep thinking it's someone's child or sibling they're showing and I doubt very much that families have been contacted.  I wish they wouldn't do that.

Zarathustra, CNN kept showing that shot over and over and over again.  I had the same thought:  I can't imagine how that person's family must have felt, if they were watching and recognized him.

[old_school]

I watched the entire press conference with the VT president and the police representative.  (I missed his identification, too.  Does anyone know whether he was a statie or a local police officer?)

I think he was the chief of campus police, someone correct me if this is not right.

Those two men deserve a lot of credit, in my book.  They maintained complete equanimity in the face of utter stupidity. 
...
The most offensive were the accusatory questions.  "Why didn't you lock down the campus and individually inform each and every individual within 15 minutes of the first shot being fired??"  One even asked whether such action might have prevented the second shooting.  Idiots.

agreed. The blood isn't even dry, notifications of next of kin haven't been made and they are already trying to assign blame.

[infopri]

the shot CBS showed of what might've been the shooter's body being carried off by police (no body bag) and other victims.  I keep thinking it's someone's child or sibling they're showing and I doubt very much that families have been contacted.  I wish they wouldn't do that.

Zarathustra, CNN kept showing that shot over and over and over again.  I had the same thought:  I can't imagine how that person's family must have felt, if they were watching and recognized him.

I just reread your post, zara.  I'm not at all sure that was the shooter's body; it may well have been a victim.  It's also not clear he was dead, although, from the way they were handling him, I have trouble imagining he wasn't.  (But you'd think they'd have put him in a bag first, no?)

Now Wolf Blitzer is on, counting the shots that are audible in that clip taken by a student with his camera phone.  For pity's sake, Wolf. 

I watched/listened to that tape and couldn't help but connect each sound with its target.  I don't know a soul there, and I'm pretty ordinarily pretty stoic, but as I listened, I began to cry.

[bibliothecula]

I'm not usually a media-basher, but the ridiculous questions and insane declamations I'm hearing on the TV news are disgusting. Wolf Blitzer and others discussing how fast medics need to respond to save a person who's been shot; how fast you can re-load a 9mm; why the school doesn't have a school-wide PA system; some of it is just egregious and sensationalistic.

These folks haven't done any homework, clearly.  Campus-wide PA system?  Yes, that would be a nice indication to the shooter that he's been found out, not to mention this is a HUGE campus.  Land-grant agricultural and veterinary college.  I'm talking huge...

Clearly, they haven't a clue of the physical size of the campus or the number of buildings or the number of students, faculty and staff.

I'm with spork.

Yep, they've no idea of what they are suggesting to trying to suggest. I wish they had had some sort of academician on as a guest consultant to try and explain why this is not the same as a HS shooting.

[merce]

...I wish they had had some sort of academician on as a guest consultant to try and explain why this is not the same as a HS shooting.

I can't believe how pervasive the college=HS misconception is.

This is a v. different context for this complaint than the usual.
Weird.

[anthroid]

I watched/listened to that tape and couldn't help but connect each sound with its target.  I don't know a soul there, and I'm pretty ordinarily pretty stoic, but as I listened, I began to cry.

Me too.  Can't seem to stop.

How awful guns are, and how awful are the people who use them.

[crazybatlady]

Oh my god, folks. I just got home with my kids and I open the BBC News and discover this.... I'm so sad.

Love each other tonight and every night.

cbl

[old_school]

Kudos to the law enforcement people who put themselves on the line to protect, and the paramedics who help those in need.

[datawoman]

I am a Professor also in California.  My deepest condolences ( my grammar is out the window also today) to all involved.

I watched the news conference live on CNN.  My initial thought was why didn't they shut down the campus immediately.  Then as I listened to the campus police chief and thought of our own campus police, I began to feel sorry for them and their lives for the next few months.

I would caution what CNN reports the FBI saying.  That this can cause more nut cases to come out of the closet and do a copy cat.  Professors, staff, college communities around the globe, keep your eyes open, your hearts warm and kind, and do what you do.  That is how to fight this evil.

[zarathustra]

Yeah, I'm considering talking with my class about it and telling them to start throwing everything around them at anyone that walks in with a gun. 

[patagonia]

My deepest sympathies to the VT community.

I don't know anyone there but, as a prof, I feel a deep sense of sadness thinking about how the sense of safety and security of the VT community was shattered today.

[bower]

I feel for all those impacted by the events at VT.
A few questions I have yet to hear asked/addressed: 1) Why were classes being held once the first shooting occurred? I heard students report on CNN and FOXNEWS that they attended 2 classes prior to the campus lockdown. 2) How many shootings (without apprehending the perp) does it take before the VT campus (or any campus) is locked down? 3) Why didn't campus security and campus police systematically evacuate and lock all academic buildings after the first shooting?  The answers to question 3 was tgiven by campus police during 4:30 press conference...to paraphrase 'We believed the perp left the campus.'
These are the questions I have yet to hear asked or discussed by the media or by those in charge at VT.

The bottom line is that it is highly likely that a good portion of the individuals would still be alive if the lockdown of the campus would have taken place immediately after the 7:15 am shooting. It did not take very long to lock the campus down after the second shooting...so, I guess the answer to my second question is 2 for VT.
It appears that VA Tech administration and those charged with security (campus police) dropped the ball and it is their limited regard for the safety of all students and faculty that contributed to many of the deaths and injuries. Maybe they should be held responsible, to some level.

condolences to all those dealing with loss

[illuminata]

I find it interesting here that gun control and the media are being avidly discussed here, but not my point about identification and assessment of students with psychological problems.  "Campus counseling center" is not what I'm talking about here.

It would be great if there were a good way to ID potential hairtriggers, but there isn't. We know a few 'warning signs', but they're really not dependable. Most of the guys who do these rampages are not overtly disturbed. They're usually also smart enough to lie if confronted about symptoms. They sit in the back of class, don't talk much, have few friends...and they own guns. Lots of guns. And ammo. IMHO, controlling the weapons would be far easier than targeting the users. These crimes simply do not occur in countries where guns (or bullets) are not so easily available.

As for the campus lockdown, my nephew was herded to safety very early and very swiftly by a campus police officer. Tech is a huge sprawling campus. There is no way to warn over 25k people of an imminent threat while you're also trying to catch the bad guy. It's just not feasible. Think of all of the wide open spaces on your campus, all the many bldgs, and wonder how you'd warn everyone before the next shot is fired. I hope to god someone comes up with a way. I got nothing.

[datawoman]

Ah, but there is where the breakdown was.  THEY WERE NOT LOOKING FOR HIM.  THEY THOUGHT HE HAD LEFT.  That is what I think is sticking in everybody's craw.  The point is if they had tried to shut down the campus, maybe, just maybe, there would be less dead people.  That is not a statement that has any real measurable value.  We will never know. 

[zarathustra]

I feel for all those impacted by the events at VT.
A few questions I have yet to hear asked/addressed: 1) Why were classes being held once the first shooting occurred? I heard students report on CNN and FOXNEWS that they attended 2 classes prior to the campus lockdown. 2) How many shootings (without apprehending the perp) does it take before the VT campus (or any campus) is locked down? 3) Why didn't campus security and campus police systematically evacuate and lock all academic buildings after the first shooting?  The answers to question 3 was tgiven by campus police during 4:30 press conference...to paraphrase 'We believed the perp left the campus.'
These are the questions I have yet to hear asked or discussed by the media or by those in charge at VT.

The bottom line is that it is highly likely that a good portion of the individuals would still be alive if the lockdown of the campus would have taken place immediately after the 7:15 am shooting. It did not take very long to lock the campus down after the second shooting...so, I guess the answer to my second question is 2 for VT.
It appears that VA Tech administration and those charged with security (campus police) dropped the ball and it is their limited regard for the safety of all students and faculty that contributed to many of the deaths and injuries. Maybe they should be held responsible, to some level.

condolences to all those dealing with loss

Where would evacuated students, faculty and staff go? Some students would have to go to the dorms, and they weren't cleared yet; faculty/staff would go home, I guess but then they'd be potential targets trying to get to their cars, same with the commuting students.  It would be an immediate traffic jam on my campus too.  It's not so easy.