No word yet on any obvious motive. Broken romance? Jihad? Right now it's sounding like a damned good argument for concealed carry permits at any rate. *** Update: Well that didn't take long; see below.

Federal Officials: At Least 32 Dead After Virginia Tech Shooting 

BLACKSBURG, Va. —  At least 32 people are confirmed dead and at least another 21 are wounded after a shooting at Virginia Tech University Monday morning, federal law enforcement officials told FOX News.

Campus police said there was only one shooter and he is now dead. They are unsure if the shooter was a student and it was unclear if he was shot by police or took his own life.

"The university was struck today with a tragedy of monumental proportions," Virginia Tech President Charles Steger said during a press conference shortly after noon. "The university is shocked and horrified that this would befall our campus ... I cannot begin to convey my own personal sense of loss over this senselessness of such an incomprehensible and heinous act."

It was the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. ...

Not much I can say about the situation without more information; I'll keep my eyes open. Others following the story: Kevin Aylward, Allahpundit, Confederate Yankee, Ed Morrissey, Dan Riehl, Michelle Malkin, Stop The ACLU, Dan Riehl (again), James Joyner, PJM, Demosophist, Paul at WizBang

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Blame-the-guns bias watch 
Michelle Malkin

... Read this: Stacy McCain hammers ABC News for using the Virginia Tech massacre as an opportunity "to promote irrelevant propaganda about the expiration of the so-called 'assault weapons' ban." ...

Prepare for much more of this. ...

Fortunately, there are still enough grown-ups in Congress to keep the kiddies under control on this one. I hope.

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Jumping the Gun
James Joyner

Washington Times assistant national editor Robert Stacy McCain takes ABC News’ Brian Ross and Dana Hughes to the woodshed for using the tragic murder of 32 Virginia Tech students to further their anti-gun agenda:

High capacity ammo clips became widely available for sale when Congress failed to renew a law that banned assault weapons. Web sites now advertise overnight UPS delivery of the clips, which carry up to 40 rounds for both semi-automatic rifles, including 9mm pistols, and handguns. “High capacity magazines read extreme firepower and gusto. Stock Up!” is the headline of one of many gun shop Web sites.

Virginia law enforcement officials have not identified the weapon used in the shootings today at Virginia Tech, but gun experts say the number of shots fired indicate, at the very least, that the gunman had large quantities of ammunition.

“When you have a weapon that can shoot off 20, 30 rounds very quickly, you’re going to have a lot more injuries,” said Peter Hamm of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. It’s not one or two shots at a time when you’re putting 20 bullets, spraying them into a classroom or into a dorm room,” Hamm said.

As McCain notes, that post went up at The Blotter well before any details of the crime were made public, let alone any information about the weapon used. Indeed, more than two hours later, that information is still not public. Nor is it even clear that bullets were being “sprayed.” . ...

UPDATE: Police report that the gunman used “at least two 9mm semi-automatic pistols,” not a rifle, assault or otherwise. ABC News persists, however, in sticking to their story: “It is unknown at this time if the guns had standard or extended clips, which can fire as many as 30 shots before the gun has to be reloaded.” ...

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Video: MSNBC already cashing in on
massacre, pimps new gun control special
Ian Schwartz

That didn’t take long. MSNBC is already promoing a special on gun control set to air on the channel’s resident “conservative” show, “Scarborough Country.” Who says the media has an agenda?

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Gun Control Laws Claim Another 21 32 33 Victims 
by Emperor Misha I

BLACKSBURG, Va. — A gunman opened fire in a dorm and classroom at Virginia Tech on Monday, killing 21 people in the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. The gunman was killed but it was unclear if he was shot by police or took his own life.

But… HOW?

Aren’t campuses supposed to be “Gun Free Zones?”

Inexplicably, the crazed, mass-murdering psychopath bastard failed to heed the law and went in anyway, brutally murdering 21 innocent people who, being law-abiding citizens, were utterly unarmed.

And the Idiotarian Press is already out in force. I just caught a whiff of a White House press conference where journaljizzmers were busy asking about the need for more gun control laws.

Because, as we all know, if carrying a firearm on campus had been DOUBLE Sekrit Probation Illegal, the subhuman swine would’ve turned around and gone back home. ...

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Rand Simberg: Get Ready For The Political Posturing

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32 Innocents …
Jules Crittenden

... and one worthless piece of crap dead.

Not a lot to add right now.  There’s a frantic woman up this way who cannot reach her son, which doesn’t sound good.  Multiply that times 32 across the country.

Pro, anti-gun noise already.  I don’t think it matters much one way or the other.  People without guns are going to get them, no matter what the law says.  They’ll get as many guns and as much ammo as they need to do what they want to do, and when they can’t get guns, they’ll get something else. ...

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McCain Backs Gun Rights After Shootings

LAREDO, Texas (AP) - Sen. John McCain says the shooting rampage at Virginia Tech does not change his view that the Constitution guarantees everyone the right to carry a weapon.

"We have to look at what happened here, but it doesn't change my views on the Second Amendment, except to make sure that these kinds of weapons don't fall into the hands of bad people," McCain said Monday in response to a question.

The Arizona Republican, who was campaigning in this Texas-Mexico border city, said he didn't know the details of the attacks at Virginia Tech.

"I do believe in the constitutional right that everyone has, in the Second Amendment to the Constitution, to carry a weapon," he said. "Obviously we have to keep guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens." ...