We at Planet Blacksburg are in a tough spot when it comes to this kind of coverage. As you may already know, there has been a series of shootings on our campus and all of our writers and contributors are students. This makes it extremely difficult to cover the situation from a safe perspective.
We do have a story up. It’s by Suzanne Higgs who was actually locked down in a classroom while the incident was taking place. I think it is a testament to her dedication to journalism that she would find a way to get all the official information to print.
We can only publish what we know for sure, but in the blog I can tell you a little bit more of what we’ve heard. None of this is confirmed or should be treated as gospel. I just want to help you all understand things from our side.
I was fortunate enough to have not made it to campus when the incidents occured. My wife works in Burruss Hall and through some cosmic coincidence she had to fly to Chicago for a business trip. On any other Monday she would have been in that building and I would have been on campus nearby.
Sitting in the Roanoke Airport with my laptop open, I’ve been communicating with fellow students via email, instant messenger and by phone. I’ve heard that as many as 20 people have been killed. According to my wife, one of her co-workers actually saw two students gunned down.
With that high a number of casualties, we do not know if any PB writers or contributors have been hurt, but we pray for all involved.
We at PB will do what we can to keep you updated on the situation as it unfolds.
Neal Turnage
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