Va. Tech Quick to Issue Alerts in Officer Shooting
BLACKSBURG, Va. — The gunman who killed a Virginia Tech police officer yesterday was not a student and acted alone, according to authorities.
During a news conference held today, Corinne Geller, a spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police, said the investigation so far does not suggest there was a link between the officer and gunman, the Los Angeles Times reports. Authorities have not released the identity of the gunman.
Officer Deriek W. Crouse was killed when he stopped a car on campus and the gunman — who was not part of the traffic stop — walked up and opened fire without provocation. Federal agencies launched a manhunt, and the second body found a quarter-mile away from the scene was determined to be the gunman.
Students and parents received detailed E-mails and text messages within minutes of the shooting, USA Today reports. During the 2007 shooting that left 33 people dead, campus authorities waited two hours before issuing alerts.
The shooting was first reported at 12:30 p.m., and by 12:36, dispatch had issued the first of six alerts while the campus was on lockdown. Alerts were issued via text message, E-mail, the university’s Web site and its public address system.
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