University officials evaluate shooting

HAMPTON, Va. - Hampton University students are back to class following a shooting over the weekend, but it's school officials who are studying. They're evaluating how staff reacted in the moments after the first shots were fired.

"Could things have been done differently, of course," said Hampton University President Dr. William Harvey.

Dr. Harvey says a former student walked onto campus with three loaded guns and plenty of ammunition.

"It was very chaotic," said Freshman Rasheed Merrell. "It was something I never seen before."

Merrell was in his Harkness dorm room at the time.

"When you check out the door and you see people running you know that something serious has happened," added Merrell.

University Officials say the 18-year-old suspect parked his car in an off-campus lot. We're told he got into the dorm by following a pizza delivery man though door. The delivery man and a dorm manager were shot three times each. Officials say the suspect then turned the gun on himself.

"I don't think that we can make it 100 percent safe unless we put a wall around the campus," said Dr. Harvey.

Monday, President Harvey answered tough questions from students and WAVY.com, mostly concerned with university text alerts.

"Overall the situation is tragic, but was even more tragic is the fact of the time the text message did come out," said Hampton junior Kendall Robinson.

The text message alerting students about the situation was sent two hours after the shooting. Police Chief Leroy Crosby says that was his call.

"I knew immediately when I got there that the suspect was there and we apprehended him," said Chief Crosby. "He was in custody and the situation was controlled, so there was no immediate danger to the university."

"That two hour period anything could have happened," added Robinson. "As we all learned from Virginia Tech anything is liable to happen."

"I don't mind saying that we absolutely got lucky, because there was no loss of life," said Dr. Harvey. "We are very fortunate."