Mass shooting at Virginia Tech

The AP is reporting that at least 30 people are dead after a gunman opened fire on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, VA, this morning. One eyewitness to the shootings at a Norris Hall classroom described the shooter as "an Asian male in his twenties wearing a maroon hat and a black coat."

"Gunman Kills 30 on Virginia Tech Campus"

Updated: MSNBC is reporting that about 50 people were shot and 33 are confirmed dead, including the gunman.

"At least 33 dead in rampage at Virginia college"

MSNBC also has a phone interview with the eyewitness who described the gunman as an Asian male, along with another interview with a classmate.

Updated (4/17/07):

The gunman has been identified as 23-year-old Cho Seung-Hui, a Virginia Tech senior majoring in English. He was a legal, permanent resident of the U.S. from South Korea. His family lives in Centreville, VA. (Kind of weird because I was thinking of my Korean friend who lives in Centreville yesterday. I looked up Blacksburg on Google Maps and saw it was about three hours away from Centreville.)

"Va. Tech: Gunman Student From S. Korea"

"Gunman came to U.S. at age 8 from South Korea"

"Korea 'In Shock' at Shooter's Origin"

"South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the suspect had gone to live in the United States while in primary school and had permanent residency there while maintaining his South Korean citizenship, citing an unnamed official."

"Gunman's writings had raised concerns"

I'm still processing everything that happened yesterday. I woke up to hear NPR reporting that only one person was dead at Virginia Tech. Then I get to work to read that the number was up to 21. And then a little later it was 33 and the gunman may have been Asian. And now this morning that he was Korean.

All day yesterday I was checking various news Web sites for updates, wanting to know what happened and why -- something officials, students, and the victims' families are still wondering. My heart goes out to the family and friends of the victims and the Virginia Tech students and staff.