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Shooting page
By John Broder BLACKSBURG, Va. — Thirty-two people were killed, along with a gunman, and at least 15 injured in two According to police and witnesses, some victims were lined up in classrooms and executed with handguns while other students were hurt jumping from upper-story windows of the classroom building where most of the killings occurred. After the second round of killings, the gunman killed himself, the police said. It was the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history and came nearly eight years to the day after 13 people were killed April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Colorado by two disaffected students who then killed themselves. By Monday evening, authorities had identified only one of the Virginia Tech victims. Police officials said they were not yet ready to identify the gunman or even say whether one person was behind both attacks, which wreaked devastation on this campus of 36,000 students, faculty members and staff. Federal law enforcement officials in Washington said the gunman might have been a young Asian male who recently arrived in the United States. A university spokeswoman, Jenn Lazenby, could not confirm that report but said the university was looking into whether two bomb threats at the campus — one on Friday, the other earlier this month — might be related to the shootings. (Story continues. Use greek text)
By Rebecca Nolan Secure the innocent, and contain the shooter. Those are the first steps city police and campus officials would take if a gunman ever opened fire at the University of Oregon. What comes next depends on the shooter. “We have some very specific protocols for dealing with shooters,” Eugene police Capt. Steve Swenson said Monday, hours after a massacre that killed at least 33 people at Virginia Tech and wounded dozens more. “While everyone else is running away from the gunfire,we’re running toward it, trying to contain it.” Eugene police and UO officials meet annually to discuss emergency response to violent incidents and natural disasters on campus. They In the case of a shooting, officers from the UO’s Department of Public Safety probably would be the first on scene. But because campus officers do not carry guns, Eugene police, including the city’s SWAT team, would arrive soon after them. Campus officers can help with evacuation, relay vital information and “be good witnesses,” Swenson said. Such violence is rare on Oregon campuses but not unheard of. (Story continues. Use greek text)
By Andrea Damewood The shootings at Virginia Tech may have been 3,000 miles away, but for University of Oregon students, they were still too close to Word of the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history spread rapidly through campus by text message, the Internet and word of mouth. Kate Okrasinski was checking online for updates periodically as she studied in the Erb Memorial Union. Okrasinski, a sophomore, said she hadn’t heard the news until her roommate came home Monday morning and told her they needed to watch CNN. “It definitely hits close to home,” she said. “My uncle was murdered in a random shooting. My heart goes out to the families. It’s one of the most gut-wrenching things. It’s not like you had any warning or any reason why.” Okrasinski said she had overheard some distressed students talking about the shootings. “People are just shocked,” she said. (Story continues. Use Greek text.) INSIDE By David Steves SALEM — Russ Rudometkin, until last year a social worker and a triathlete, relied on his daughter to urge lawmakers to restrict cell phone use while driving. Rudometkin’s life-altering injuries at the hand of an 18-year-old driver who was talking on his cell phone left him unable to make the trip to the Capitol from his Medford home. It also left him with a brain injury and numerous physical ailments. “Nothing that driver was talking about on the cell phone was worth my dad’s life or the pain this tragedy has caused him and my family,” Rachel Rudometkin told the House Transportation Committee after describing how her father was struck head-on while riding his bicycle near his Medford home. She said Rudometkin is no longer able to work or participate in triathlons. The Salem woman was one of several who said Oregonians would be safer if the Legislature were to pass bills cracking down on cell phone use while driving. The issue was considered earlier in the Senate, where it has stalled. On Monday, it was the House’s turn. The panel took testimony on four cell phone-related bills, two of which focused on younger drivers. (Story continues. Use Greek text.) |
