Students Respond to Virginia Tech Shootings on Facebook
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By Rachel Young Virginia Tech students are responding to the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history via social networking web sites like Facebook, expressing anger and offering condolences to victims. FBI sources told National Public Radio that more than 30 people have been killed and at least 21 were wounded Monday when a gunman opened fire on a Virginia Tech classroom and dormitory before he was killed. Police said the gunman shot himself. One Virginia Tech student wrote that he felt classes should have been canceled as soon as the first shooting occurred about 7:15 a.m. at West Ambler Johnston residence hall. "Shooting at 730 in WAJ, classes don't start til 8, why couldn't they cancel classes for the day... SOMEONE WAS SHOT AND IT TURNS OUT THEY DIED... I THINK THAT'S GROUNDS TO CANCEL CLASS RATHER THAN SENDING OUT AN EMAIL THAT SAYS USE CAUTION AND REPORT ANYTHING TO POLICE," he said. Another student wrote that he didn't think it was the right time to start blaming people. "The suffering today is already enough to handle," he said. According to news reports, the second shooting took place at Norris Hall, an engineering building, about two hours later. A Facebook group apparently unrelated to the shootings called "I Survived VA Tech 2006-2007" has somber new meaning. The group lists 19 incidents the school has endured over the past year, including the August 2006 capture of William Morva, an escaped inmate who was accused of killing a police offer and a security guard and was at large in the campus area. That incident prompted the shutdown and evacuation of Virginia Tech, according to roanoke.com. A group receiving numerous wall posts is "William Morva Should Get the Chair." Created by a Virginia Tech student, the group's description - "Although we did get to miss some classes he sucks" - is drawing ire from some people. "You make it out to be that school shootings are normal occurences [sic]. Do your school and community some good and mourn for those who lost their lives," a SUNY at Albany student wrote. It is unclear whether students are associating Morva with today's shootings. A student at Wisconsin Milwaukee wrote "William Morva isn't the shooter for Virginia Tech that happened today... if you were reading Yahoo News, maybe you should read a little closer and see that he was a part of 2006, pretty sure he was the escaped jail inmate...." "I feel like ur [sic] group description is a little light hearted considering this is one of the worst school massacres in U.S. history," said a North Carolina State student. "I'd much rather go to class than lose friends, not even friends, classmates... human beings," a student at Mary Washington wrote. |
VA Tech shooting today
I am an Alumni of a University close to Virginia Tech, I am completely floored by the events that took place today and can only imagine what the friends and family members of the student that were killed are going through...not to mention the state of shock of the other physically unharmed students.
However, at the same time I am outraged at how the first killing was handled...from what I understand...no classes were canceled after the first killing and after the lockdown was lifted...more killings took place. I understand that you can not prepare for every bad situation, but I think more extreme actions should have taken place to assure no more deaths occurred or were minimized. It just doesn't appear that that is what happened. It sounds like the first killing was down played and should not have been...People's lives are priceless and actions to protect them should be extreme and should error on the side of over precaution.