# Shooting at Virginia Tech **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 16, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338 "2007-04-16T15:07:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/101 "2007-04-16T18:33:42Z")
[QUOTE=nyctea scandiaca] Yes the commenters on the Post site have been increasingly more shocking lately. [/QUOTE] Some people will say anything if they think they are anonymous. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/102 "2007-04-16T18:33:53Z")
[QUOTE=Plynck] Goddam, what is it about this time in April that turns people into nuts? The Oklahoma City bombing was April 19th, 1995. Columbine was April 20th, 1999. Now this. [/quote] Someone seriously should do a study on this. The worst of people seems to come out in April. Other data points: MLK’s assassination and the Rodney King riots. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/103 "2007-04-16T18:34:33Z")
[QUOTE=enigm4tic] Asian parents often have incredibly high expectations for their children, my first reaction is that cracking under the pressure of his curriculum might have been a major contributing cause. [/QUOTE] Again, what about the pressures on the Columbine, Jonesboro, and Oregon shooters? What’s going on with White teenaged boys? Let’s not go down this road. Plenty of students have high expectations from their parents from all races. Anyway, this is probably best suited for another thread. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/104 "2007-04-16T18:34:41Z")
The Washington Post is having a live online discussion about this at 3pm: [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/04/16/DI2007041600763.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/04/16/DI2007041600763.html) > [@](#): > > Anthony Della Calce, executive editor of [Planet Blacksburg,](http://www.planetblacksburg.com/) a news Web site run by Virginia Tech students, discusses what things are like on campus in the wake of today’s shooting. > Della Calce will be online Monday, April 16 at 3 p.m. ET ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/105 "2007-04-16T18:34:53Z")
[QUOTE=Euthanasiast] Didn’t intend to make this thread about this, and this is the last time I’ll speak of it, but you need only look at the past, and see if it applies to this. [/QUOTE] There’s absolutely no indication it applies to this circumstance. This thread isn’t about gun control or medications or video games or religion (was he OMG a MUSLIM???) or anything other than the complete awfulness of a mass shooting. Why the F does every thread have to be hijacked? **Lord IP** , I’m glad you are safe. I hope all your friends are too. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/106 "2007-04-16T18:36:16Z")
From the site I linked above > **[Criminal Defense Orlando Florida](http://www.planetblacksburg.com)** > > Attorneys at Law > [@](#): > > 1:48pm: Derek O’dell, a sophomore biology major was in a classroom on the second floor of Norris Hall when the shooter came in and began to shoot. He let off a full round before leaving. O’dell was one of 10-15 people shot in the class, and was hit in his upper arm. According to O’dell, the shooter was an Asian male in his twenties wearing a maroon hat and a black coat. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/107 "2007-04-16T18:39:10Z")
[QUOTE=Euthanasiast] Look at the history of these kinds of shootings over the last 20 or more years. Just about every single one of them have SSRI’s in common. [/QUOTE] I’ll wager most of them were wearing shoes, too. Let’s not ignore the obvious footwear correlation. - **VT** , who took SSRIs for 10 years and stopped cold turkey (twice) without committing a single, let alone mass murder ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/108 "2007-04-16T18:39:25Z")
The above link is also saying **32** fatalities. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Euthanasiast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Euthanasiast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euthanasiast)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/109 "2007-04-16T18:39:42Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] There’s absolutely no indication it applies to this circumstance. [/QUOTE] Wait. [QUOTE=Jodi] Why the F does every thread have to be hijacked? [/quote] Perhaps because conversations are dynamic and aren’t always linear. And as I said, I didn’t intend to hijack, but Christ, look at your recent history here. It’s just an observation. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/110 "2007-04-16T18:40:57Z")
[QUOTE=you with the face] Someone seriously should do a study on this. The worst of people seems to come out in April. Other data points: MLK’s assassination and the Rodney King riots. [/QUOTE] [“April is the cruelest month…”](http://users.rcn.com/xanax/eliot/the_burial_of_the_dead.html) ---
**Author:** ![enigm4tic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@enigm4tic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigm4tic)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/111 "2007-04-16T18:41:03Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] Again, what about the pressures on the Columbine, Jonesboro, and Oregon shooters? What’s going on with White teenaged boys? Let’s not go down this road. Plenty of students have high expectations from their parents from all races. Anyway, this is probably best suited for another thread. [/QUOTE] I won’t be apologist or anything, I was more going for the second part as a mere contributory reason. > [@](#): > > This thread isn’t about gun control or medications or video games or religion (was he OMG a MUSLIM???) or anything other than the complete awfulness of a mass shooting. Why the F does every thread have to be hijacked? Agreed. I think part of the reason that this sort of hijacking happens is because people are so desperate to find some reason to rationalize why in hell (which, if it exists, is certainly where he is) somebody would do something this terrible. As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t any excuse, ever, for something this heinous. AP is reporting 30 dead now ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/112 "2007-04-16T18:41:15Z")
An eyewitness named Trey just called into MSNBC. He was in a classroom where the gunman appeared. The gunman shot the teacher, and the students got on the ground. The gunman started to shoot people in the classroom for about one minute. Two students (Trey and another classmate) barred the door with their feet after the gunman left. Then the gunman returned and shot through the door 5-6 times, but amazingly hit no-one. The gunman then left. The student then helped others in the class. The gunmen didn’t say a word during the shooting. He looked serious, not angry. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/113 "2007-04-16T18:43:34Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] The above link is also saying **32** fatalities. :eek: [/QUOTE] The number will probably continue to climb for a day or so as people succomb to their injuries. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/114 "2007-04-16T18:44:44Z")
**enigm4tic** , I think you nailed it. We’re trying to make sense of this tragedy, but things like depression, narcissism, and rage are fairly well distributed across the population, I’d imagine. But sometimes these events are simply unexplainable. Again, such a tragedy, and prayers and good thoughts to **Lord…** and the Hokie family. ---
**Author:** ![Arien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arien)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/115 "2007-04-16T18:45:48Z")
What a terrible tragedy. I’m glad you are ok, **Lord Il Palazzo** , and I hope the same is true for your friends. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/116 "2007-04-16T18:46:57Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] Wow. Amazing. _Two hours?_ [/QUOTE] Tech is **notorious** about not canceling classes for anything. It looks like this time it came back to bite them hard. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/117 "2007-04-16T18:47:14Z")
Another student named Lauren called in to MSNBC. The story around campus was that this morning, the suspect and his girlfriend were arguing. The RA on the fourth floor went to break up the fight and was shot (not clear if the girlfriend was shot first). The gunman then apparently went to class and shot people there. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/118 "2007-04-16T18:48:17Z")
**Lord Il Palazzo** , so glad you’re safe of course. Is the campus still under lockdown outside the engineering building or are you free to leave or… what’s going on? ---
**Author:** ![Alistair\_McCello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Alistair\_McCello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alistair_McCello)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/119 "2007-04-16T18:48:35Z")
MSNBC is now reporting 31 dead, including the gunman. I. . . I seriously can’t think of anything to say. I have essentially been sitting at my desk starring at my computer screen since I first caught the story two hours ago. I am trying to comprehend this, but I just can’t. ---
**Author:** ![enigm4tic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@enigm4tic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigm4tic)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338/120 "2007-04-16T18:48:38Z")
So far reports from the people I know indicate that they’re ok. Guess I can sort of start breathing some sighs of relief on that count anyways. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-virginia-tech/400338.md?page=7)