One person is shot dead and four more are injured at hookah lounge near Virginia Tech: Students ordered to shelter in place for hours following shooting
One person was killed and another four people were injured during a shooting at a hookah lounge in Virginia, authorities said.
The Blacksburg Police Department said officers responded to reports of shots fired at Melody Hookah Lounge in downtown Blacksburg on Friday just before midnight.
Police did not identify the deceased person or any of the people who were injured in the shooting. Authorities said they were taken to local hospitals, but that their conditions are unknown.
No additional information was made available, including details on potential suspects or a motive.
Nearby, Virginia Tech was encouraging students to stay indoors, but was lifted three hours after the request was originally made, the university said in a post on Twitter.
The school continued to ask students and residents to avoid going downtown as the investigation continues
Police stand by as officers conduct an investigation after a shooting at a business on Main Street in Blacksburg, Va. Saturday
A police officer conducts an investigation after a shooting at a Melody Hookah Lounge
One person is dead and several injured in the shooting
Police vehicles block Main Street after a shooting in Blacksburg
Virginia Tech was the site of one of the biggest campus mass shootings in history in 2007, when a gunman fatally shot 32 and injured 17 others before taking his own life.
'Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased and we extend our support to those who were injured,' President Tim Sands said in a letter to students.'
'Events like this are difficult and unsettling to all of us,' he added. 'Please care for yourself and seek assistance if you need it. Campus resources are listed below. Our community is strong, and our strength is derived from our genuine care and concern for one another.'
At the time of the shooting, the bar had just reopened to the public after being closed for three hours for a private party, according to Melody Hookah Lounge's website.
The hookah bar - just blocks from the campus of Virginia Tech - is open until 2 a.m. typically on Fridays.
A section of Main Street near Roanoke Street in downtown Blacksburg, was closed off for over five hours after the shooting while authorities investigated.
Interior of the Melody Hookah Lounge
The bar had just reopened to the public after three hours closed for a private engagement
Injured occupants are carried out of Norris Hall at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., Monday, April 16, 2007. A gunman opened fire in a dorm and classroom at Virginia Tech on Monday, killing 32 people before he was killed
Blacksburg police are pursuing up to four suspects, according to USA Today, following initial reports of an active shooter.
'This incident continues to be a complex, ongoing case that has shifted to a homicide investigation,' Blacksburg police said in a statement.
'There were five individuals that were injured in the shooting, four were transported to local hospitals and one is deceased,' they added. 'The severity of the injuries of those who were transported is unknown at this time.'
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