THIS IS AWFUL: “At least 20 people were killed this morning at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and University after a shooting spree at two buildings on the campus.” Nobody seems to know much yet on what happened. These things do seem to take place in locations where it’s not legal for people with carry permits to carry guns, though, and I believe that’s the case where the Virginia Tech campus is concerned. I certainly wish that someone had been in a position to shoot this guy at the outset.

UPDATE: More here and here. And some background here. And reader John Lucas, who works with a Virginia law firm, emails that Va. Tech is a “gun-free zone.” Well, for those who follow the law. There was an effort to change that but it failed: “A bill that would have given college students and employees the right to carry handguns on campus died with nary a shot being fired in the General Assembly.” That’s unfortunate. Had the bill passed, things might have turned out differently, though we’ll never know now.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Here’s a big, continuously updated roundup on the subject from Pajamas Media. And here’s lots more from a Virginia Tech alumnus.

More background on Virginia Tech here. And here’s more local blogging on the tragedy. And here’s a blog entry with some photos.

And here are more thoughts from John Noonan. And send your thoughts and prayers to Marc Danziger, who has a son at Virginia Tech. [LATER: Sorry — I misread Danziger’s post, which he’s amended to clarify that his son is at U.Va., not Virginia Tech.]