Shooter on UT-Austin Campus, Colton Tooley, 26, dead by suicide, 28 Sep 2010

[texasgirl2]

UT police say an active shooting situation is taking place on campus. Officials believe they have the suspect contained. No other details are available.

“I’m driving there right now trying to get there,” university spokeswoman Rhonda Weldon said.

“The first report I got was that there was an armed suspect in the Perry-Casteneda library. Now I’m told by campus security that the individual has shot himself on the sixth but I’m not there yet so I can’t confirm that.”

MORE AT LINK:

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/cont...ene_of_shooting_on.html?cxntcid=breaking_news

 

[texasgirl2]

Heard from my ex-husband (police officer) that shooter has killed himself. No victims that we know of yet but I heard his radio going nuts!

Last I heard, shooter was in library holed up and then the next thing I heard, he had killed himself.

UT is still on lockdown at this time.

 

[texasgirl2]

More links:


http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/top_stories/Police-Search-for-Gunman-on-UT-Campus-20100928-ktbcw

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/breaking_news/reports-of-armed-man-inside-ut-library-

 

[texasgirl2]

Heard on KLBJ online from Art Acevedo, APD Chief: First shooter is dead, still looking for second suspect on loose....

 

[Sassygerl]

I can't believe all the major networks haven't picked this up!!!! Crazy that the students who have been warned to stay inside are coming out to take pics with their cell phones!

 

[wfgodot]

bump

This is a major, breaking story on a major U.S. college campus.

No new news, police still said to be looking for possible second gunman. Only death so far is first gunman, suicided in library, according to reports.

 

[texasgirl2]

Here is a live stream for information:

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/generic/news/live_news/myfoxaustin_livestream_index

Can also look for #utshooting on Twitter!

I have a cousin on campus....sirens are going off, she is holed up in her professor's office. All classes obviously cancelled for the day. Second shooter on campus confirmed....keep hearing he is in Calhoun building. Not sure what building that is yet.

 

[texasgirl2]

Photos from UT campus shooting:

http://galleries.statesman.com/gallery/shooting-ut-campus-092810/

 

[wfgodot]

Bits & pieces from the Statesman blog:

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 locked down, and people are urged to stay out of the area.

Officials say it appears there are no other injuries. UT spokeswoman Rhonda Weldon said witnesses had reported that the man was armed with automatic weapon.
---
It was unclear how many shots were fired, but witnesses described eight to 10 shots in short bursts.

There were numerous reports that the gunman was wearing a black ski mask.
---

and more, updated regularly, at
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/cont...010/09/28/police_on_scene_of_shooting_on.html

 

[texasgirl2]

Still hearing a lot from my friends on Twitter & Facebook. Not all of it has been confirmed.

Not confirmed: First suspect (shooter) had AK-47 and was wearing all black. Second suspect (not calling him a shooter, just a suspect) was also wearing all black but may have changed clothes in the Calhoun building. Hearing from ex husband that they are only searching Calhoun as a precaution and that second suspect may not be on loose after all.

Confirmed: Campus is still on lockdown. Sirens going off for about the fifth time. First suspect is dead of suicide. Was last thought to be on 5th floor of library but was found dead on 6th floor. Many students on campus still, told to stay locked in offices and classrooms. Tanks and SWAT are on scene.

**My ex is NOT on campus nor involved, he is currently at federal courthouse and just telling me what he's hearing on his radio.

 

[wfgodot]

another Statesman blog factoid, just to keep this story near the WS top:

Members of the Austin SWAT team accompanied by DPS troopers are on the scene.

Rant: CNN still lacks anything close to comprehensive coverage on its dot.com front page. Last I checked it only had a headline, linking to nothing. We on WS were alerted to this major story by texasgirl2 a full 50 minutes before CNN even had a mention of it online.

 

[salvarenga]

Update from UT President sent as e-mail to students:

http://twitpic.com/2st3pr

 

[texasgirl2]

another StatesmanRant: CNN still lacks anything close to comprehensive coverage on its dot.com front page. Last I checked it only had a headline, linking to nothing. We on WS were alerted to this major story by texasgirl2 a full 50 minutes before CNN even had a mention of it online.

I was in SHOCK when I looked for info on this online after getting a phone call this morning! I got more info from Twitter, my FB friends and my ex-husband than news outlets. Major news this morning and nothing online....blew me away! Been listening to the live stream but will be honest....there's a guy on Twitter that I am watching closely....who would have thought I would be reading twitter for the facts? :waitasec:

 

[wfgodot]

Eyewitness account, from Statesman:

Randall Wilhite, an adjunct law professor at UT, was driving north on University Drive this morning toward class when he heard what sounded a bit like five gunshots but which he initially wrote off as construction noise. When he saw students scattering, and then a man in a suit carrying what appeared to be an assault rifle running east on 21st Street, he knew for sure.

“He ran right in front of my car, fired two or three shots south sort of generally in my direction but not at me,” Wilhite said. “They seemed to hit to my left sort of in the median. It didn’t look like he was targeting individuals. He was just sort of shooting into the ground.

“He was about 10 feet in front of me. I was very vulnerable had he wanted to shoot at me.”

He said the gunman was wearing a white shirt and tie and a ski mask, and he described him as about 6-feet-2 and 200 pounds, with an athletic gait.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/cont...010/09/28/i_was_very_vulnerable_one_witn.html

 

[SunnieRN]

Thank you Texasgirl2 for starting the thread and for the live streaming website. They are interviewing a staff member at the UT right now, who is 'still nervous, but I feel this is a safe place to work'.

 

[raeann]

The UT official website emergency page

http://www.utexas.edu/news/2010/09/28/emergency_alert/

 

[wfgodot]

Here's CNN's a-bit-late-in-the-game entry into the world of news-gathering:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/28/texas.university.shooting/index.html?hpt=T2 (includes video)

 

[SunnieRN]

Wow, this situation could have been so very much worse. There is a young woman who works in a gift shop on campus, initials TK, who states the gunman was behind her when he started shooting. I wonder if he wanted a public venue to commit suicide, or if this was 'planned' to shoot other people and backfired? I am impressed with LE at this point, they seem to have everything under control!

1 dorm in the area seems to have been cleared, as they search for a potential second suspect.

 

[momtective]

Good update blog http://fromtheold.com/news/politics/gunman-loose-ut-campus-austin-tx-20463

John Lott to speak at UT tonight on "More Guns, Less Crime". Truly ironic.

 

[concentric]

Wonder why they think there could be another gunperson or suspect?