21 students have reportedly been killed after at least one gunman opened fire at the Virginia Tech University campus in Blacksburg.
UPDATE 1:40PM Foxnews is now reporting that as many as 29 people may have been killed. President Bush has reported to have been “horrified” upon hearing the news.
UPDATE 1:55PM Fed sources are now reporting that the death toll has risen to 32. WSLS is reporting that 28 are being treated at local hospitals with 4 in critical condition. The weather was bad at the time and Medevacs were unable to fly to the scene to assist in transporting the wounded.
UPDATE 2:31PM To hear an 8 minute eyewitness account click HERE. To hear the shooting taking place captured on a cell phone camera click HERE.
UPDATE 4:56 PM The death toll in this horrific event has been placed at 33.
UPDATE 9:46PM The Israeli Embassy has announced that they have located all of the Israeli students and lecturers in the university and they are all safe and sound.
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43 Responses
this kind of story makes you wonder what precautions these universities are taking. ‘isolated incident’ doesn’t work anymore. something has to be done.
as examples, classrooms should be locked during sessions. another exit
should be available in every classroom. any threatening calls should be
taken very seriously. more security guards inside & outside the building.
and anyone acting strange should be shadowed!
i have two co-workers with children there. according to one of my co-workers, all buildings are secured via card access. Either the killer was a student, or he tailed someone into the building.
one more reason to vote for democrats. GUN CONTROL! what a sick world
Der Yid – what utter drivel! (shtusim b’laaz)
Gun Control does not help against the criminals who obtain their guns illegally anyway!
Gun Control takes away yet another Freedom that the Second Ammendment entitles all Americans to, and is another step in the Democrats drive to make this Country a socialist one.
vote democrat! you must be kidding.
that’s why we are, where we are today.
Der Yid:
Your proposal of gun control is “takeh” one I agree with, and I’m a Republican. I never held a gun in my life and b”eh I never will have to.
Gun control will never prevent murder though. After the longest waiting period and restrictions, eventually a hunting shot gun can still kill people.
Not until the nev’uah comes true of “loi yisu goy el goy cherev” with the coming of Moshiach b”b, will there be successful gun control.
Till then, I vote Republican.
BT
To put it more simply: Enact Gun Control, and only the criminals will have guns!
StraightThinker agrees with Think Straight.
if not for gun control may someone in the room would soot back? even if no one else had a gun but the gun would not have been sure ?maybe someone WILLsoot back ! but thanks to gun control he knew no has a gun in school but him!!! thanks dems!
The Town Crier:
As an idiot Republican I say I’m with ya (see above). What will you say when the shooter uses a gun which passes all gun control standards? I don’t speak from knowledge as I don’t want to be around guns, but when will you learn – its not the gun that kills so much as the person shooting it. Ban one type of gun and they’ll use another.
Assuming we all agree with your liberal idealism, how do you deal with the issue I just raised.
I agree with Der Yid. We should outlaw all guns so you can’t shoot.
Knives so you can’t stab.
Rope so you can’t strangle.
hammers and clubs, and anything like them such as beams of wood or steel, so you can’t bludgeon.
Water so you can’t drown anyone.
Paper so you can’t give any papercuts.
And anything that can someone can kill with, so that we could stop this garbage already.
P.S. – Think about possibly creating a law that might just outlaw humans, so they can’t kill. It might just work! Let me know if you like my ideas, we could send a petition to the President. FREEDOM!!
The Town Crier:
You say “You obviously dont even know the meaning of the word liberalism, otherwise you would know that theres nothing liberal about gun control or banning assault weapons.”
Truth is my pet peeve about liberals is their lack of understanding an issue before giving an opinion.
Can you not see that I support gun control? Only foolish liberals believe that controling guns will help solve the problem.
Over and out!
Personaly I usually vote republican because they are more conservative and responsible. There still is no question we need gun control, all of these school murders are always with guns, so the sevara that “it’s not the guns that kill only the murderer” is shtusim. Of course de Eibershter feirt de velt and every bullet has an address but we gotta do our hishtadlus.
Every JEW a 22******
yid613
like the idea but you would have to outlaw computers, do that the yeshiva world is out of buisnes, but who cares about that people will be outlawed and there will no need for buisnes. on the other hand we could just let town crier have the keys since these people are so much smater than us and run our lives then he will need a computer to keep posting. then he needs people to view it and they need homes and the like and so forth. wich means people need knives rope ect. and guns to protect. lesson town crier stop posting then, no need for computers to post on and peolpe to look at it. but if you do that than noone can read your briliant ideas. so in short live with it and keep providing the entertainment. lol
whatareyousaying? i’m glad the yw editor doesnt filter out every bad post, only ones contaiing loshon horo or the like. otherwise we couldnt ever have the entertainment of seeing such dumb posts.
the title is very revealing about the days we are living in:
“Worst school shooting in American history”
as if school shootings are routine occurrences, which they are.
This was done with 2 pistols. Not an assult rifle.
correction to my previous post: “according to one of my co-workers, all buildings are secured via card access”
Not true
– the University President just announced in a press conference that ONLY the dorms are secured via card access.
were they any yidden?
bupkiss lighten up. and go your name and let everyone know this whole discution is bupkiss. what does this have to do with yiden gu controll? have a gun or dont but who cares about american polotics.
The Town Crier thats right and eventhough they are people my point was gun controll look again its sad but not our issue and again to you hakol b’yedey shamaim chuzt meyirat shamaim. gun controll is not our issue and if you think we have a part in this and a voice than you are saying apicarsus. and again to get the point it is very sad
I used the word yidden for a reason. second if a yid is hurt or killed its like a brother and it hurts more! and you Crier more
illini07 go daven for the families in lakewood whos house was o fire they mean more and their learning
i once asked my rebbe after the tsunami can we be happy sad or how should we look at it he told me its not good but they were oved avoda zara and had it comng just like by krias yam suf and even though they are oved avoda zara most are imoral liberals. and again it is tragic but lets daven and give tzdaka to yiden who need and daven for them. with all the tzros in klal yiroel wory about them then when we are ok then wory about the goim.
illini07 thats right w should not and who told we should make it better how do you know last i checked all we are spused to do is follow the torah and anything more is wrong. being the case tzdaka which i know you will ask is not for tikun olam its for you learn up on your hashkafa. afterwords if you have somthing to say which you wont because you will be more informed than we can talk
by the way i was not complaing about american polotics just our invovment
an no i will not leave i like here but its not my contry and because of that its not my place tp talk
dastorah if there were any yiden its a tragety and yes it does make me cry
illini07: why is this on your head more the all yidish tzoros ??? just becouse its on the new (they only talk about crime all day why tune in?) do you know howmany yiden are in in haspial with cancer how many yiden don’t have parnusah daven for then that is what g-d whants you to do!
illini07 i said it before and i will say it again its apikorsus dont believe ask a real talmid chacham and not some mo rabbi. take my word for it you are wrong and us yiden work on mesorah meaning from rebbe to talmid not what my trief das came up with. they once asked r’moshe why are you more qualified than that other rabbi and he said because he never looked in a goish paper. i may have treif das but what i have is from my rebbe. please people like you wake and see the emes and what yidshkiet realy about and not what MOs make to be.
WARNING: The following is a question. My tone is not meant to be provocative. Don’t anyone go meshuga in telling me how little bitachon I have:
Is it so clear that we shouldn’t own guns? I know that Hashem is our only protection, but I wear a coat in the winter. We live in a world that could, chas v’shalom, collapse into anarchy. I’ll use my bitachon to protect myself, but I’d rather use a weapon to protect my wife, children, and neighbors. I don’t own a gun. I haven’t asked a shaila to a Rav because I guess I’m not that serious about it l’maaseh, but is it so clear that it would be unwise to have a little surpries for anyone who tries to take advantage of the poor nebby Jews if things deteriorate here?
To illini07 I don’t make warrant less assumptions I was just going with what you said. You had said and I quote “(though I disagree with your bold assertion that they are “more important”) “. Second of all I do question your knowledge and understanding of the subject. Chazal say “kol ha’omer yegiah rachamechah leshluach haken misalkin min ha’teva”. Why they said this, it says over there “mipnay gezeros heymay”. These ethical questions among the goim have nothing to do with us. The only thing we are supposed to daven for by the goim is for the meluchah not to fall apart, and that’s so we stay safe. However the point I am trying to bring out from here is only to be osek in things nogeha to yiden. Abortion is not our issue and it should never be equated to ethical questions of the goim. To do so is a bezion hatorah, one must understand this very clearly. That being the case we should not be involved in such things. I would also like know what exactly you were told by your “rebbeim” when they said go out and improve the world. Please learn more before you post opinions on the matter. Us yiden live by mesorah, meaning from rebbe to talmid. Where I come from I was taught this and this is none of our business. To say so is wrong and I suggest you find a real rabbi, a rebbe who will teach you the mesorah of the yiden and of the torah. Anyway you missed the boat on what I was saying about tzdakah. I also suggest you learn more about tefilah and other Hashkafos of yidishkiet.
Hi – To address Yossi Bishuk – too many stories of accidental shootings where children found a gun in the house. So, even if the sevuros are good, it’s too dangerous. Just my opinion!
Brumfin,
Just following this through – I’m not talking about a weapon for the armed burglery, where you have to have the weapon handy. I’m more considering the idea for the next 9/11 where our police force could become crippled or unavailable for normal duties.
Believe it or not, I’m not paranoid. I don’t have imaginary scenarios worked out. I do believe that history suggests that life doesn’t stay sweet for the Yidden in galus. Moshiach should come and make all of this “k’cholmim,” but . . . my suggestion/question is not to have a barely secure handgun, but a very well secured and locked shotgun. I’m talking about using it at a time when you’ll have plenty of notice.
What can I say? I enjoy the idea of being armed if a white supremist or one of our friendly neighborhood gang members comes looking for us. It seems much more in line with the ratzon Hashem to kill a rasha than to watch innocent Jews be killed.
thank you YW for the update about the israelis
I wonder… statistically, if it’s more likely to be randomly shot in this country (it’s a pretty big country), or if it’s more likely for a child – or adult- to get hurt from a serious weapon being kept in the house. We do keep dangerous objects in our homes… and we “childproof” them to the best of our abilities – but that is because we need those things for normal living. In places where there is imminent danger in normal life unfortunately, they don’t have the luxury of a choice. So far, I suspect (I can’t say I’m sure – I didn’t google the statistics!) most Americans are not in imminent danger of being randomly shot, boruch HaShem.
However, this horror story should certainly shake us up… to act/think/daaven a bit differently than we did before we heard it. And just to clarify: by differently, I mean in some way improved… whatever that means for each individual. And however long it lasts for each individual.
This has nothing to do with the actual news article, but, could everybody please take a little time out from their typing to properly use the english language. Im not suggesting to open a dictionary or thesaurus, but to at least learn how to use the space bar. Its the long horizontal key on the bottom of the key board. And if you take a moment before submitting your comment you will catch such simple mistakes that make our reading of your intelligent comments so much more pleasant. In todays day and age when everybody is text messaging and using words and short lingo that would make the inventor of the english language roll over in his grave, please have rachmonis on those who are not adept in this way.
thank you
tll
THE TOWN CRIER
DU BIST MISHUGEH OR SOMETHING?! REGARDING WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT TERRY SCHIVO ITS MASHMA THAT YOU THINK THAT SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED RIGHT AWAY, BUT THE TORAH DOESNT AGREE WITH YOU IF SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN A YID IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ASSUR TO TAKE HER OFF THE FEEDING TUBE BUT ANYWAY ON THAT NOTE I VOTE REPUBLICAN AND I WILL ALWAYS VOTE THAT WAY(GIULIANI 08′) AND I REALLY THINK THAT GUN CONTROL WONT HELP A MUDERER CAN GET A GUN IF HE WANTS EASILY WHERE THERE IS A WILL THERE IS A WAY AND I AM DEEPLY SADENED BY THIS STORY EVEN THOUGH B”H NO YIDDEN WERE KILLED OR INJURED WE LIVE IN A SCARY WORLD AND A YID HAS TO DAVEN WE SHOULD BE ZOCHEH TO SEE MOSHIACH SOON AMEN
Town Crier;
I’d like to adress your 5:16 post;
Your absolutley right! This is a tragedy no matter whether there were Jews amongs them or not. These are decent Americans who are not our enemies . HOWEVER , its perfectly normal to be concerned about acheinu bnei yisroel!
NOT inquiring whether or not there were yidden amongst them is as REMISS and INSENSITIVE as is being indifferent to this calamity JUST because there were no Jews at all!
I am all for gun control: use both hands when you shoot. (:-)
Dearest thethinker,
That post was a joke, right? Please tell me that in a post where you lament the lack of use of a space bar and the general abuse of the heiliga English language, you were purposeful in your lack of use of the most sacred apostrophy? It’s two keys to the left of the letter ‘L.’ It would be used for contractions (‘it’s’ when it means ‘it is’ and ‘I’m,’ a contraction of ‘I am’) and possessives (‘today’s day and age’). Lastly, I learned that English, being a proper noun, would always be written with a big ‘E.’ You can get that by pressing the shift button at the same time as the letter ‘e.’
Dearest YW editor, whereas this thread is getting further down the page, could you please forward thethinker an email of this. Thank you.
Yosi: As long as we’re critiquing thethinker, here are a couple of additional points. Take the comma out of the first sentence, after the word but, and reinsert it after the phrase “In today’s day and age,”. (Gor’in umosifin v’dorshin.) Also the apostrophe (notice spelling of that word) is 2 keys to the RIGHT of the letter ‘L’.
There are many more issues beyond gun control. The Democrats in general have much looser morals (at least as far as legislating goes) than the Republicans. Alternative lifestyle and much of the schmutz that we have in this country are primarily the work of the Democrats. For this reason, gedolei Torah for many years have favored the Republicans over the Democrars.
midwesterner:
Skoyach. You’re saying good.
At least I’ll feel a little solace from not caring that much about the massacre of the English language on this site. Im calling my computer guru to come and move my apostrophy over a few keys and to change it’s spelling.