Horrible news. Here's what eyewitness have told to BBC News:
Virginia shootings: Eyewitness accounts Eyewitnesses at Virginia Tech university have been emailing the BBC News website describing the scene at the campus, where at least 22 people have been killed and more injured.
Read a selection of them below, as they come in.
One of my friends...met with the shooter by accident and was nearly shot
Mihai Alexe, Blacksburg, VA
I am a graduate student at Virginia Tech and fortunately I chose not to go to campus early this morning. We have been notified of the first incident very quickly and advised to stay indoors and exercise caution. One of my friends was teaching a class in Norris Hall, where the second incident took place. She sent me an email and an instant message saying she met with the shooter by accident and was nearly shot. She succeeded in barricading herself along with other students in one of the classrooms and as far as I know she is now safe. God help all the students who were injured in this tragic event!
Mihai Alexe, Blacksburg, VA
Our campus has been shut down for the remainder of the day, and many local high schools have kept everything on lock down.
Mala, Blacksburg, USA
I am a graduate student at VT. This has been quite a surreal and grim morning for us all. We had a shooter on campus on the first day of campus and now this. We have been under a lot of stress lately, as there have already been several bomb threats over the past few weeks, even as early as Friday. I do not know if the threats are related to today's shooting. I still can't believe this has happened. My tears continue to pour as the number of casualties continues to rise.
Mia Ortega, Blacksburg, VA, USA
My friend called me telling me not to come on campus because there had been another shooting
Judith Payne, Blacksburg, VA, USA
I am in shock at the events that happened this morning. I am a junior attending Virginia Tech. I was getting ready to leave for my class at 10 am this morning, when my friend Margaret called me telling me not to come on campus because there had been another shooting (we had had a shooting in August on the first day of class). She said that cops had run past her class room and others had run in pointing guns and telling everyone to get down. I live a mile off campus, and I've just been watching the news unfold on the TV. It's scary to see how the numbers increase from 1 dead, 7 injured to 22 dead 21 injured in a matter of minutes. It's been a traumatic experience for the school.
Judith Payne, Blacksburg, VA
I live in West AJ on the third floor. Apparently it all began around 0700 this morning, when the gunman shot and killed one person on the fourth floor. He may have shot other people in the dorm too. Now the police are telling us at least 22 people have been killed (counting the shooter himself). This is very scary, and we are shocked that something like this could happen here in Blacksburg. It really is a very quiet, rural, small town in Southwest Virginia.
Josh Shiben, Blacksburg, VA
I am an exchange student from Birmingham studying here at Virginia Tech for one year. several friends of mine were near to the second incident and took pictures using a mobile phone. I am now in my dorm room roughly 100ft from the first incident. It is amazing to think that an event like this could have happened in such a quiet town. We are all in shock at the moment.
George Barnwell,
Students are terrified
Derek Belcher, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
I am a student at Virginia Tech and was on campus during the second shooting at Norris Hall. The Virginia Tech police told us that 20 are confirmed dead and 28 are being treated for injuries. This is the second shooting in one year as well as three bomb threats in the last week. Students are terrified.
Derek Belcher, Blacksburg, Virginia US
I'm from University College Dublin and now on exchange in Virginia Tech. A murderer on campus on our first day here is as bad as it could get, this is unbelievable. Find it hard to believe that 20 people can really be dead. Sitting in dorms right now, waiting for further news. People starting to be released, seems worst may be over.
Nicola, Ireland /Blacksburg, VA
We are stuck on lockdown in the library on campus right now and everyone just seems to be in shock. Cops are everywhere. We just heard that 17 people have been shot. It's been hard to determine what's true and what's just a rumour. We can only hope that the shooters are caught soon.
Krishna and Allison, Blacksburg, Virginia, America
The scene here is just surreal
Brandon, Blacksburg, USA
The scene here is just surreal. Watching the TV and looking at the web-pages, you know that all of this is happening on your campus, but you don't fully realize that it is actually happening; especially as a student. One of my friends was in one of the classrooms where the shooting occurred, and the scene he described was utter chaos. It sounded like a scene from a movie, something that you watch but never expect to happen to you, or to anyone that you know. My thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and families of the victims.
Brandon, Blacksburg, USA
I am a faculty from VT. I am shocked with the scale of this horrific event took place in our campus. The gunman is reportedly dead. We do not have much information. An evacuation plan will be performed by police officers very soon and we will go back to our homes. May the victims' souls rest in peace.
Kerem Gungor, Blacksburg, VA
We are in total shock, and it's still setting in. The fact that 20 people have been shot on my campus is totally unthinkable and unbelievable. It's like something out a movie, but it's real. I pray for the families of those killed. This is a terrible tragedy, one that will have a lasting impact on this university for years to come.
Timothy Owen, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
This is truly awful. I am staying just outside of campus at the moment. So many of my friends are in there, and not knowing is just awful. I still cannot believe that more than 20 have died...
Richard Allnutt, Blacksburg, USA
I am a student at Virginia Tech and was in my dormitory at 10:30 when I FINALLY got word about the shootings. I was on my way out to class when I was stopped by a hallmate telling me about what was going on. Students are now coming back to the dorms. I have a friend who is in the building behind Norris and is surrounded by students and faculty who were in Norris. One girl expressed how she saw many bloody bodies. We are being advised to stay in the dorm, but information from the University is slow, although the news coverage has been the best source of information. Why weren't we warned after the FIRST shooting?
Bethany Zimmerman, Blacksburg Virginia
I am a student. I was walking to class when one of the buildings was evacuated. The police yelled to get off the drillfield. People started running everywhere. The situation is intense. Everyone is worried.
Brett Morris, Blacksburg, VA, USA
Death toll already verified at 20. Victims have been taken to a regional hospital. FBI has been called in to investigate. There was a single heavily-armed shooter that has now been reported as shot dead as well. All classes have been cancelled, some buildings are being evacuated one by one.
Justin Shrout, Alexandria Virginia
Just spoke via messenger to my friend, who works at Virginia Tech - her husband works in that building (Norris Hall) but was luckily teaching in a different building. When we stopped talking maybe 20 minutes ago, she thought it was all over now, and students were being sent home.
Scared, Southampton UK
After the second shooting, police vehicles have been travelling through town using PA systems to warn town residents to stay away from windows. Blacksburg is an extremely safe town, we rarely, if ever lock the doors to our house at night.
Nathan Johnson, Blacksburg, VA
