[BJWilliams]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/08/sh ... latestnews

[4everfsu]

Prayers to the victim's family and protection for all on VT campus

[4everfsu]

Two confirmed fatalities

[bluedevilflame]

Absolutely awful, God bless the families of the victims. Senseless.

[jbock13]

Gunman likely was the second fatality. Campus is safe now

[jbock13]

Anyone else hear or see the press conference? I haven't ever seen such a weird display in my life. They were totally evasive, and left more questions than were answered.

Yes I saw it. I think they're still working to notify the families which was probably why they couldn't release much. Still sort of odd, but I think everything is leading towards the second fatality being the shooter. He knew he was probably going to get the death penalty for capital murder, and shot himself there.

Which leads further credibility that he had to have been the armed robbery suspect sought in Radford. You don't just shoot an officer if you're not running from anything.

[flamehunter]

Anyone else hear or see the press conference? I haven't ever seen such a weird display in my life. They were totally evasive, and left more questions than were answered.

Yes I saw it. I think they're still working to notify the families which was probably why they couldn't release much. Still sort of odd, but I think everything is leading towards the second fatality being the shooter. He knew he was probably going to get the death penalty for capital murder, and shot himself there.

Which leads further credibility that he had to have been the armed robbery suspect sought in Radford. You don't just shoot an officer if you're not running from anything.

Not saying it isn't possible but it seems strange that someone running from the law, the robbery suspect, would up walk to an officer engaged with someone else and shoot him. Then suddenly think, "Oh crap, Virginia has the death penalty" and then kill himself.

[jbock13]

good point flamehunter. I didn't catch that it was a different guy then the one being pulled over.

So having said that you're right.

[jbock13]

Not to start a totally off-topic debate, but why are police officers' lives more valuable than regular citizens?

you crazy libertarian. (I kid, I kid)

[flamehunter]

I think 9/11 has a lot to do with the media's near obsession with any public servant's death. The stories about the heroes got the TV guys great ratings and continue to do so. Don't get me wrong, they put their lives on the line every day and I appreciate that immensely. But I think you are correct BYD in your assessment that their lives seem more important than Joe Citizen's based on news coverage. If anyone doubts that, look back at the coverage of the shooting of Gabby Giffords (I know, but she is a "public servant" by some standards) in Arizona. Every now and then you have to remind yourself that there were 6 people who actually died that day.

[Purple Haize]

Because they are officers.

[Purple Haize]

I think it is more the concept of what they represent. To use a sports analogy, football players can throw punches at each other and get a fine. But if they were to punch a referee the penalty would be exponentially worse. Not a perfect parallel but I think it gets the point across

My question is: What happened to the car that got pulled over? Why did it get pulled over? Where did the gunman really come from?

[jbock13]

I agree BYD. Just like hate crime legislation treats the lives of others in higher esteem than others.

If anyone truly killed anyone based on the color of their skin, or sexual orientation, we already have a punishment for that. It's called the death penalty.

[PAmedic]

Not to start a totally off-topic debate, but why are police officers' lives more valuable than regular citizens?

YOU'RE FREAKING KIDDIN ME RIGHT?

[PAmedic]

It is true of media coverage as well, but I was referring to the more easily provable and objective standard of criminal punishment.

If you walk up and shoot joe citizen in the head, you could get the death penalty under some circumstances, but more than likely you are getting a long jail sentence and will one day be free if you behave in prison.

If you kill a cop, it's like automatic death penalty or the rest of your life in prison. What's the story with that?

I've tried 4 times to post a calm, rational explanation without losing my mind but now clearly is not the time to try

PS: a thread about a cop being asassinated is not the time to whine about why public safety personel and teachers are a protected class, nor is it time for me to attempt to educate you. God bless Officer Crouse and his family.

[bluedevilflame]

Not to start a totally off-topic debate, but why are police officers' lives more valuable than regular citizens?

YOU'RE FREAKING KIDDIN ME RIGHT?

Being employeed by a campus police department, I don't think people realize the danger that we head into day in and day out, even though we aren't city or county departments. Absolutely terrible and I encourage all police/security officers on this board to be safe out there. God bless this officer and his family, absolutely awful anytime of year, but especially heart wrenching here at the holidays.

[bballfan84]

Not to start a totally off-topic debate, but why are police officers' lives more valuable than regular citizens?

YOU'RE FREAKING KIDDIN ME RIGHT?

Solid question..regardless sad situation...prayer goes out to the families

[flamehunter]

Shooter has been identified.

http://www2.newsadvance.com/news/2011/d ... r-1533359/

Virginia State Police have identified a Spotsylvania County man as the subject responsible for the murder-suicide that occurred Thursday (Dec. 8, 2011) on the Virginia Tech campus. Investigators have confirmed that Ross Truett Ashley, 22, of Partlow, Va., took his own life approximately a half-hour after fatally shooting a Virginia Tech Police Officer. Ashley also had a local residence in the 1000 block of East Main Street in Radford, Va.

Also, he is apparently the one responsible for the robbery in Radford the day before.

Ashley has been identified by Radford City Police as the individual responsible for the theft of a white 2011 Mercedes SUV from a real estate office in the City of Radford on Dec. 7, 2011. The Mercedes was stolen at gunpoint at approximately 11:25 a.m. Wednesday from Gilbert Real Estate in the 600 block of Calhoun Street. A male entered the business armed with a handgun and demanded the keys to an employee’s vehicle.

[thepostman]

this has been posted for a while and jbock hasn't bragged about being right? He must be busy tonight

In all seriousness I am glad this didn't end with more people getting killed

[jbock13]

this has been posted for a while and jbock hasn't bragged about being right? He must be busy tonight

In all seriousness I am glad this didn't end with more people getting killed

You're right I was busy last night! Christmas party

I don't brag about stuff like this. A father was senselessly killed because of this worthless piece of human debris. Besides, it was reported locally in the media, so the national news wouldn't have known about the robbery in Radford. It was just a matter of putting it together that he was the one wanted in radford.