Police on scene of shooting on UT campus

[sonias]

The Blotter AAS 9/28/10
Police on scene of shooting on UT campus

A gunman who fired several shots on the University of Texas campus in the Perry-Castaneda Library is dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, and police are looking for a possible second suspect, officials say.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo confirmed that the shooter is dead, but UT continues to be closed and locked down, and people are urged to stay out of the area. Classes are canceled for the day, officials said in an e-mail alert.

Officials say it appears there are no other injuries. UT spokeswoman Rhonda Weldon said witnesses had reported that the man was armed with an automatic weapon. Acevedo said an AK-47 has been recovered.

“The shooter is dead on the sixth floor of Perry-Castaneda Library, said Don Hale, a UT spokesman. “No identification. Apparently took his own life.”

[WolverineDG]

1. damn

glad no one else was hurt. wonder what made this person feel they had to do something like that?

dg

[sonias]

2. No motive or ID on gunman

I've been watching the local news and from descriptions of people who saw him, he was wearing a ski mask, yet they could see him smiling.

:shrug:

[WolverineDG]

3. From the "You can't make this stuff up" File

The lockdown at UT resulted in the Federalist Society canceling its forum at the law school--"Do Concealed Weapons Lead to Reduced Crime?

(from a friend's status on FB)

dg

[sonias]

4. 'More Guns, Less Crime' author planned to speak at UT today

True story.

The Blotter AAS 9/28/10
'More Guns, Less Crime' author planned to speak at UT today

In an unfortunate coincidence, several student organization, including the Libertarian Longhorns, the UT Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, the UT Objectivism Society and the UT Federalist Society planned to host John Lott, author of the book “More Guns, Less Crime,” at the UT Law School.

It was planned for 6 this evening. The event is postponed tentatively, said Jeff Shi, a full-time student computer science student and the president of UT Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, "and we are talking to Mr. Lott about alternative plans."

:kick:

[sonias]

5. Shooter appears to have been a UT student

Update 12:30: During a press conference, police officials said the shooter appears to have been a UT student, but positive identification will come from the medical examiner’s office.

[sonias]

6. UT shooter confirmed as 19-year-old math major

Updated from story link above:

UT shooter confirmed as 19-year-old math major
Update 2:50: An official with the Travis County Medical Examiner’s office has confirmed that Colton Tooley, 19, was the gunman involved in the incident at the University of Texas today.

[sonias]

7. UT Shooting Could Renew Concealed Carry Debate

Texas Tribune 9/28/10
UT Shooting Could Renew Concealed Carry Debate

Not long after a gunman ran through the University of Texas campus randomly firing an AK-47 and then shot himself, an old debate resurfaced: Should concealed handguns be allowed on campus?

Currently, concealed handguns are prohibited on college campuses in Texas. Last session, state Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland, and state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, pushed a bill that would have allowed concealed handgun license-holders to carry weapons on campus. The bill passed the Senate but was left hanging in the House.

At 10:34 this morning, as news of the UT incident spread, Tarrant County Republican Party Chairwoman Stephanie Klick tweeted, "Too bad for UT students that Conceal Carry on Campus did not pass during the last legislative session."

(snip)
John Woods, a graduate student at UT, was a student at Virginia Tech University when a gunman killed 32 people, including his girlfriend. During the session, he became the most prominent face of the opposition to concealed carry. This morning, his position remained unchanged.

"I'd just point out that the only person who's been killed has been the shooter," Woods told the Tribune. "I think the situation might be a lot more chaotic and a lot more deadly if a number of students had tried to go in and be heroes." Ultimately, he said, the system worked.