Several injured in mass shooting in Blacksburg, VA; avoid downtown, say police

Multiple people have been hospitalised in the wake of a shooting in downtown Blacksburg, Virginia.

The shooting took place right before midnight on Friday at the Melody Hookah Lounge on Main Street, according to WDBJ-TV.

“On Friday February 04, 2022 at 11:53pm, the Blacksburg Police responded to the report of shots fired at the Melody Hookah Lounge located at 109 N Main St in downtown Blacksburg. Multiple individuals were transported from the scene to local hospitals,” reads a statement by the police.

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Police have not released details yet on whether the suspect has been apprehended or on the number of casualties.

Nearby research university Virginia Tech has tweeted a warning informing people about the situation and have advised people to stay indoors and secure their doors.

Police have also asked people to share any information that could aid their investigation into the mass shooting.

Residents are being told to actively avoid the downtown area in Blacksburg as the investigation continues.

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The mass shooting on Saturday took place mere blocks from Virginia Tech, where a student shot and killed 32 people in 2007, making it the worst mass shooting in US history at the time.

However, in 2016, the Pulse night club mass shooting became the worst in US history, which was again replaced as the worst shooting by the Las Vegas mass shooting the following year where more than 60 people were killed by a single shooter.

In terms of gun violence in general, the Joe Biden administration seems to be struggling. Data from the Gun Violence Archive (GVA) shows that President Joe Biden’s first year in office was far worse in terms of gun violence than former President Donald Trump’s first year. According to GVA data, the US recorded 20,783 deaths from murders, accidental homicides, and justifiable self-defence homicides involving firearms in 2021, far higher than the tally of 15,727 in Trump’s first year of office in 2017.