DEVELOPING STORY

MASSACRE IN BLACKSBURG

Gunman opens fire on Virginia Tech campus. Thirty-two dead, 28 others injured.Injured are carried out of Norris Hall on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia after the shooting rampage that left 32 dead on Monday morning, April 16, 2007. (Roanoke Times)

BLACKSBURG, Virginia - CS News. At least one gunman opened fire on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg Monday, leaving at least 32 dead and 28 wounded, according to the Associated Press. It is the worst mass shooting in the history of the United States. Only one shooter is known, according to the university's police staff, and he is among the dead.

The events began this morning at West Ambler Johnston, a dormitory on the campus. This shooting, which occurred at about 7:15 AM local time, resulted in multiple deaths and injuries.

While this event was being investigated, another series of shootings occurred a couple of hours later at Norris Hall, which is an engineering building for VT. This was the worst of the events and was the cause of the majority of the fatalities.

Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives held moments of silence Monday afternoon for the affected of these appalling acts.

Virginia Tech is a popular and accredited university, both in academics and athletics. It has the largest full-time student population in Virginia. Over 25,000 students study on the campus, which spans 100 buildings on 2,600 acres in the beautiful community of Blacksburg. The university is made up of eight colleges and offers 60 bachelor's programs, along with 140 master's and doctoral programs.

University President Charles W. Steger called the events a "tragedy of monumental proportions". For more on President Steger's statement, visit this link.

To keep up to date on the latest of this developing story, visit these reports from Fox, MSNBC, CNN, CBS News and ABC News.

To those of the Virginia Tech community who are involved, I want to let you know that we stand with you during your time of crisis. I am a university student myself at Tennessee Tech, so I can somewhat relate. If there is any help you need, we as fellow Americans stand with you and are ready to assist. There is no excuse for these appalling acts of this morning. My God truly bless all of you and I want you to know that you are in our prayers and thoughts through this horrible time. I, also, want you to know that you have a beautiful community and campus. As I visit Pennsylvania, I travel up Interstate 81 right past your fair town and campus. It is horribly tragic that such a beautiful place had to be assailed.

I do not really want to politicize this event, particularly at this hard time, but I want those who oppose the Second Amendment to know something. It is not guns that kill. People kill. You will have no right to bash the Second Amendment and those who honor it. That is all I have to say about that at this time.

AGAIN, MAY GOD BLESS AND GRANT MERCY TO VIRGINIA TECH AND ALL AFFECTED BY THIS MORNING'S COWARDLY ACTS! STAND STRONG THROUGH THESE STRUGGLES!