Blacksburg: Update 5:34 pm
Virginia Tech has over 26,000 students. Please remember this fact while we are grilling the administration as to the appropriateness of their response. That's more people than many Virginia towns have. Also, an under-reported fact is that loudspeakers and sirens were blaring warnings in the morning to the effect that my wife could hear them in downtown Blacksburg, which is a half of a mile away from campus (this is first hand information). Let's not start in on blaming people until we get all of the facts. At this point, only one person has the primary blame, and he is dead of a self inflicted gunshot wound, according to preliminary police reports.
Unfortunately, 33 persons are confirmed dead. The mood in town is still somewhat confused and nervous. I know a number of people (including my wife and I) who are still trying to contact people we know are engineering students, and at least two that we know were in Norris Hall today.
Later this evening, we are having about 20-30 students over so they can get away from campus to try to collect their thoughts and prayers. I will be sure to pass on any information they may be able to provide. One student is living with us this semester, and her sister (who is doing fine) lives in A.J. on the third floor.
