Timeline of a Massacre

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Timeline of a massacre

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7:15 a.m.

Virginia Tech Police Department receives a 911 call from the fourth floor of West Ambler Johnston Residence Hall, a co-ed dormitory with 895 residents on the south side of the campus.

Virginia Tech and Blacksburg, Va., city police officers responding to the call find two people, a man and a woman, shot dead inside a dorm room. The police secure the building and begin questioning residents. According to a university news release, investigators initially believed that the deaths were "an isolated incident, domestic in nature."

7:30 a.m.

University and Blacksburg police officers begin "following up on leads concerning a person of interest in relation to the double homicide."

8:25 a.m.

A team of university officials, including Virginia Tech's president, executive vice president, and provost, meet to assess the situation and determine how to notify students about the killings.

9 a.m.

Chief Wendell Flinchum of the Virginia Tech Police Department briefs university officials on the investigation of the residence-hall shooting.

9:26 a.m.

Virginia Tech sends the following e-mail message to students and faculty members:

A shooting incident occurred at West Amber [sic] Johnston earlier this morning. Police are on the scene and are investigating. The university community is urged to be cautious and are [sic] asked to contact Virginia Tech police if you observe anything suspicious or with information on the case.

The university also posts a news release about the incident on its Web site and transmits a similar message through campus phones, such as its weather phone.

9:45 a.m.

Virginia Tech police officers receive a 911 report of more shootings at the university's engineering building, Norris Hall, which is half a mile across the campus from Ambler Johnston.

Police officers arrive at Norris Hall and find doors chained from the inside. Breaking in, they follow the sounds of gunshots to the second floor and find the gunman, who has taken his own life. In four classrooms and in a stairwell they find 30 dead and many others injured.

9:50 a.m.

Virginia Tech sends the following e-mail message to staff members and students, with the subject line "PLease stay put":

A gunman is loose on campus. Stay in buildings until further notice.
Stay away from all windows.

10:16 a.m.

The university announces through e-mail that classes are canceled, and asks students who are not already on the campus to stay away. The message advises those on the campus to remain where they are, lock doors, and keep away from windows.

10:52 a.m.

The university sends another e-mail notification of the Norris Hall shooting:

In addition to an earlier shooting today in West Ambler Johnston, there has been a multiple shooting with multiple victims in Norris Hall.
Police and EMT are on the scene.
Police have one shooter in custody and as part of routine police procedure, they continue to search for a second shooter.
All people in university buildings are required to stay inside until further notice.
All entrances to campus are closed.

12:41 p.m.

Charles W. Steger, president of Virginia Tech, issues a public statement that the "university was struck today with a tragedy of monumental proportions."

He announces that the university will set up counseling centers, that classes will be canceled for the following day, and that the university will contact the families of victims as their names become available.