SCHOOL SHOOTING
Update on Our Role at Virginia Tech
04/17/07
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Entrance to Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. Credit: Virginia Tech |
Our role in the aftermath of the April 16
shootings on the Virginia Tech campus, which
have claimed more than 30 lives, continues
to be a supporting one: assisting local and
state law enforcement on the scene.
The
lead investigative agency in the case is the
Virginia Tech Police, which is being assisted
by the Virginia State Police. Our Richmond
Division is working with these and other
agencies to provide help wherever it is needed.
The FBI has dispatched 20 special agents to
Virginia Tech, all from the Richmond Division.
Additional agents are available from our Norfolk
Division and our Washington Field Office.
We
have also sent four victim assistance specialists
and a terrorism victim specialist to Blacksburg.
Three specialists are part of a Victims Assistance
Rapid Deployment Team and are specially trained
in responding to mass casualty events such
as the shootings in Amish country and Red
Lake, Minnesota, said Kathryn Turman, head
of our Office
for Victim Assistance.
The
victim specialistsincluding one from
our Richmond field officeare helping
the Family Assistance Center that was established
on campus and likely will be acting as liaisons
between the medical examiner's office and
families. They have also helped find major
air carriers willing to donate free or low-cost
emergency travel for families.
We
have victim assistance specialists at field
offices across the nation who can help victims
and their families living outside the Virginia
area, including providing referrals for local
services. Other victim specialists may be
requested as needed.
“The FBI will do everything it can
to provide any additional assistance requested
by state and local authorities,” FBI
spokesman Rich Kolko said on Tuesday.
Resources:
- Our Criminal Justice Information Services
division recently issued a synopsis of
crime in schools and colleges, which is
based on data reported to our Uniform Crime
Reporting Program. The study, which has
not yet been released, covers the five-year
period from 2000 to 2004. The objective
of the study was to examine the characteristics
of offenders and arrestees involved in
crimes at schools and colleges.
- FBI behavioral analyst Supervisory Special
Agent Mary Ellen O'Toole last fall offered
insights into school shootings. Read
more
- The White House last September convened
a Conference
on School Safety.
The resources deal with helping schools
and communities prepare for and prevent
school violence and cope with and respond
to instances of violence. The list also
includes statistics and research on school
safety.
- The National Center for Education Statistics
“Indicators
of School Crime and Safety 2006” report
covers topics such as victimization, fights,
bullying, disorder, weapons, student perceptions
of school safety, teacher injury, and drugs
and alcohol. Indicators of crime and safety
are compared across different population
subgroups and over time.
Anyone with information that may be helpful
to investigators of the Virginia Tech shootings
can submit
a tip electronically on this
website or contact your local
FBI office or the police agencies
investigating the case.
The men and women of the FBI join a grieving
nation in extending our deepest sympathies
to the victims and their loved ones.