VA Tech officials alerted their families, but not public, as shooting unfolded

[Are_grits_groceries]

RICHMOND, Va. — During the worst campus shooting spree in American history, Virginia Tech officials locked down some administrative buildings and warned their own families more than an hour and a half before the rest of the campus was alerted, according to revisions made in the state’s official report on the tragedy.

The report indicates that students who were initially locked down at West Ambler Johnston residence hall, where the first two victims were killed, were later released from the building by the police and allowed to attend their 9 a.m. classes. Two of those students then went to class in Norris Hall, where they were killed by the shooter.

At least two members of the university’s Policy Group, which was assembled to manage the crisis, let their own families know of the first two shootings, in the residence hall, more than 90 minutes before the group warned the rest of the campus. The new report also says that the university president’s office was locked down about 30 minutes before a formal warning was issued to the rest of the campus.

The original report, issued in 2007, concluded that university officials could have saved lives by notifying students and faculty members earlier about the killings on campus.

But the new report said the local police took more than half an hour longer than was initially believed to begin looking for a suspect, a fact first reported by The Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The new report also said university officials failed to contact the family of the shooter’s first victim, Emily Hilscher, for more than three hours, until after she had died. Ms. Hilscher survived for some time after being shot and was taken to two hospitals before she died
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/05/us/05virginia.html?_r=1&emc=na

I realize this was an extraordinary emergency and there were no plans in place to handle this type of crisis. However, it seems to me that people lacked any common sense and had brain lock or something.

[KansDem]

1. This doesn't surprise me...

During the worst campus shooting spree in American history, Virginia Tech officials locked down some administrative buildings and warned their own families more than an hour and a half before the rest of the campus was alerted, according to revisions made in the state’s official report on the tragedy.

I work at a large public institution. The policies for clearing the building in case of fire or bomb scare are all spelled out for us. We essentially warn the public and help direct them to the exits. And we are vigilant for members who need assistance, and we assist them all the way to the doors in necessary. Once the building is empty, we proceed to the exits and cross the street for safety and to allow police and fire fighters to do their jobs.

During one bomb scare, we were instructed to clear the building. I participated along with my staff colleagues. I helped one fellow in a wheelchair to the door and outside onto the sidewalk. He was pretty "ambulatory" (very adept at handling his wheelchair), so I saw him out onto the sidewalk and turned to go back into the building to continue as necessary. Well, as I started to turn, I noticed the entire fucking administration was already standing across the street! Fucking directors, deputy-directors, and department managers, all standing and chatting among themselves, laughing at their own jokes. Really funny! :grr:

It turned out to be a false alarm, but the next time this happens, I'm going to yell out to them, "HEY!!! GET YOUR ASSES OVER HERE AND HELP! THEY'RE MORE PEOPLE TO EVACUATE! GET OVER HERE AND HELP US!!!"

Fucking administrators: just because they weren't "staff" they saw no need to assist...:grr:

Those members of the the upper echelons really do look out for themselves...