(18 Apr 2007) SHOTLIST
AP Television
1. Police officer armed with rifle walking across street towards Burruss Hall
2. Officers with bomb sniffing dog walking in front of Burruss Hall
3. Officer with bomb sniffing dog checking vehicles in car park
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Terryn Wingler-Petty, Virginia Tech Student:
"They told everybody to get off the sidewalk at first and then they yelled that we had to stay pushed back onto the green grass."
SOUNDBITE (English) Marta Wingler-Petty, Terryn's Mother:
"And they saw - he's real little and they said, 'Take cover,' so we've been stuck here."
5. Wide shot of Burruss Hall
7. Police officers standing outside Burruss Hall
8. Officer walking outside Burruss Hall, walks towards police van
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Wendell Flinchum, Virginia Tech University Police Chief:
"I'm not going to go into any details. We got a report of a suspicious event. We responded and we found it to be unfounded, and we've cleared the area."
(Q) The situation is safe?
"The situation is safe."
10. Police officer walking outside Burruss Hall
POOL
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Wendell Flinchum, Virginia Tech University Police Chief:
"At 7:53 (1153 GMT) this morning, the University operator received a threat against (University) President (Charles) Steger. Officers responded to his office in Burruss Hall to make him aware of this potential threat. Police presence in and around Burruss Hall was increased, which led to many rumours and false assumptions about what was happening. That led to an unwarranted report of a suspicious person within the Hall. Officers immediately responded and entered the building. The building was cleared and the report of the suspicious person was unfounded. These kind of reports are not uncommon in the wake of what has taken place in the last 48 hours on our campus, which is one reason why we are maintaining a high police visibility throughout the university."
12. Police officers standing outside Burruss Hall, pull out to police officers on street
13. Virginia Tech police van outside Burruss Hall, pull out to wide shot of building
STORYLINE
Virginia Tech students, still on edge after the deadliest shooting in modern US history, got another scare on Wednesday morning as police in SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) gear with weapons drawn swarmed Burruss Hall, which houses the office of the university president.
Police bomb sniffing dogs were seen checking vehicles in the car park.
Campus Police Chief Wendell Flinchum said the university operator received a threat that targeted Virginia Tech President Charles Steger, but after investigation, it proved to be unfounded.
"We got a report of a suspicious event. We responded and we found it to be unfounded and we've cleared the area," he said.
At a later news conference, Flinchum said the increased numbers of heavily armed police in the area led to an "unwarranted report" of a suspicious person inside the building.
"Officers immediately responded and entered the building. The building was cleared and the report of the suspicious person was unfounded," Flinchum said.
"These kind of reports are not uncommon in the wake of what has taken place in the last 48 hours on our campus," he added.
The extra police activity frightened student Terryn Wingler-Petty, who was showing her mother from Wisconsin where Monday's shooting rampage occurred.
She said her first thought when police ordered the two women to get back was "Oh my God, it's happening again."
Burruss Hall is located across the street from Norris Hall, where alleged gunman Cho Seung-Hui killed 30 people.
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