August 4th, 2011
03:12 PM ET

Virginia Tech lifts alert after report of possible gunman

[Update 3:07 p.m.] Virginia Tech has lifted an alert on campus hours after three youths reported that someone may have had a gun there, according to a post on the school's website.

"There will continue to be a large police presence on campus today," the announcement said. "Police
have not received nor discovered additional information about a person possibly carrying a weapon beyond that reported this morning.

"The university community may resume normal campus activity. Only Blacksburg campus classes have been cancelled today."

[Update 11:16 a.m.] Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum warned students and others to continue to stay indoors as police search for a person who may be carrying a weapon on campus.

Several people have been questioned but police have not apprehended anyone, Flinchum said.

[Update 11:09 a.m.] No one is in custody and the campus safety alert remains in effect, Virginia Tech's campus police chief says.

[Update 10:31 a.m.] Virginia Tech is in lockdown as authorities look for a man three youths said may have had a weapon, possibly a handgun.

The white male was described as having light brown hair and being 6 feet tall and was walking in the direction of a volleyball court. The man was wearing a blue and white striped shirt, gray shorts and brown sandals. He had no glasses or facial hair, according to the report.

[Original post, 10:18 a.m.] Virginia Tech, the site of a 2007 massacre, has issued an alert saying someone is possibly carrying a weapon on campus.

Regular classes aren't in session at the moment, but there is summer school. The university in Blacksburg, Virginia, is asking people on campus to stay inside and secure doors. The person was spotted near Dietrick Dining Hall.

In April 2007, Cho Seung-Hui, 23, shot dead 32 people on campus before killing himself.

Are you on campus? Share your account, but please stay safe.

Follow CNN's continuing coverage
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Filed under: Crime • Virginia
soundoff (562 Responses)
  1. fake

    test

    August 4, 2011 at 11:15 am | Report abuse |
  2. Hollins 85

    Prayers to protect VA Tech...and for the families of those worrying about their children on campus.

    August 4, 2011 at 11:15 am | Report abuse |
    • ANONYMOUS

      These are not children, they are adults.

      August 4, 2011 at 11:24 am | Report abuse |
  3. martin2176

    This is why I never went to college..my advice is stay out of school and college

    August 4, 2011 at 11:16 am | Report abuse |
    • Jon

      LOL Awesome.

      August 4, 2011 at 11:22 am | Report abuse |
    • Public

      Sounds like good advice. What would you advise people to do? Play video games all day?

      August 4, 2011 at 11:22 am | Report abuse |
    • what.

      this...is not very good advice

      August 4, 2011 at 11:25 am | Report abuse |
    • msgirl

      hmm. hat explains your comment.

      August 4, 2011 at 11:34 am | Report abuse |
    • msgirl

      hmm. that explains your comment.

      August 4, 2011 at 11:35 am | Report abuse |
  4. frogger

    I hope it's a water gun, but if it is a gun, please no one get hurt!
    I'm applying this year nonetheless 🙂

    August 4, 2011 at 11:16 am | Report abuse |
    • Ralf The Dog

      It sounds like there will be one open slot, unless they let this guy take correspondence classes from prison.

      August 4, 2011 at 11:32 am | Report abuse |
  5. Rob

    Like most of these reports lately it will likely turn out to not be a "man with a gun" and will probably turn out to be a "man with an umbrella" or "maintenance man with a drill", then the people who reported it will be patted on the head and praised for panicking at their own shadows.

    August 4, 2011 at 11:17 am | Report abuse |
    • annonymous

      You know, at least they take precautions! My best friend works there and goes to school there, how would you feel if there coule potentially be a gunman walking around, if you or anyone close to you was there! You would want to take the safe road out too...hopefully you're right and there is no gun, but it's better to be safe than sorry!

      August 4, 2011 at 11:26 am | Report abuse |
  6. Good Green

    @banasy

    Second that. Get rid of his lame a ss. He's a moron as well

    August 4, 2011 at 11:18 am | Report abuse |
  7. juniper

    Round 2

    August 4, 2011 at 11:19 am | Report abuse |
  8. guardrail

    Why is someone with a gun automatically going to shoot the place up? This is America, right?

    August 4, 2011 at 11:19 am | Report abuse |
    • Yes

      This IS America. That's why. You are correct.

      August 4, 2011 at 11:20 am | Report abuse |
  9. hahalol

    i bet it's just a false alarm

    August 4, 2011 at 11:19 am | Report abuse |
    • MyOpinion00

      hopefully it is a false alarm but at least everyone there has acted appropriately

      August 4, 2011 at 11:23 am | Report abuse |
    • No

      It's a gun.

      August 4, 2011 at 11:35 am | Report abuse |
  10. GOPisGreedOverPeople

    And in other news.......Hundreds of thousands of morons with less than $5000 net worth each vote for the GOP because the GOP brainwashes those idiots and tell them that democrats want to take away their guns.

    August 4, 2011 at 11:19 am | Report abuse |
    • CSMinDC

      Funny. Liberals preach the GOP is for the rich but the poor vote for them, and the rich vote for democrats. Circular reasoning by the left inclined.

      August 4, 2011 at 11:27 am | Report abuse |
    • PoliticiansAreTheProblem

      And in the same sorta news...Millions of Welfare recipients in the Inner City vote for Obama because he is black and they just don't want to work...

      August 4, 2011 at 11:30 am | Report abuse |
    • Tman

      Read mr safety's post. Enough said...

      August 4, 2011 at 11:30 am | Report abuse |
  11. SABoy

    32 people killed was a completely avoidable massacre. If they don't let you sheeple arm yourselves with a gun, then at least swing a chair leg or something and try to mount some kind of defense.

    August 4, 2011 at 11:20 am | Report abuse |
  12. John

    Just heard the reporter say "the other big story today is the stock market fall". No that's not the other big story that's the only "big" story they've reported. The Virginia Tech story is a not a "big story". It's a nothing local story that the cable news hopes will turn into a "big story". Just another case of the "tabloid news" component of cable news.

    August 4, 2011 at 11:21 am | Report abuse |
    • PakiLegacy

      Tabloid = CNN. NOTW = WSJ = FOX = Tabloid. See the connection?

      August 4, 2011 at 11:24 am | Report abuse |
    • VT11

      Easy to say when your aren't on the campus taking summer classes, like some of us here.

      August 4, 2011 at 11:31 am | Report abuse |
  13. Facts

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ushomicidesbyweapon.svg

    August 4, 2011 at 11:22 am | Report abuse |
  14. MyOpinion00

    Just because you are an idiot does not mean you have to share it with the rest of the world.....

    August 4, 2011 at 11:22 am | Report abuse |
  15. PakiLegacy

    So they thought they saw a handgun. Wait until guns are allowed on campus. Then everybody will see guns everyday and campus will be shut down for ever. YAY!!!

    By the way, if you haven't figured it out yet, I am being sarcastic

    August 4, 2011 at 11:23 am | Report abuse |
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