VT Professor told law firm second building was under lockdown

A Virginia Tech professor contacted a law firm representing some of the families who lost loved ones in the April 16th massacre and said a second building was under lock down after the first set of shootings in West Ambler Johnston Hall.

Attorney Douglas Fierberg, one of the attorneys representing more than one dozen families, said the professor would have testified under oath he dropped his wife off for work on Tech’s campus the morning of April 16, 2007 around 8 AM.

Fierberg said the professor would have testified his wife told him her building was under lock down.

Attorneys revealed Tuesday after the settlement hearings their law firm had obtained what they believe was proof the university’s Environmental Health and Services (EHS) building was under lock down following the first set of shootings through emails from one of the EHS administrators, Bernadette Mondy.

Fierberg declined to reveal the name of the second building because the professor wishes to remain anonymous.

Fierberg said the professor then called the University Operator to inquire about a then rumor of a shooting on campus. He said phone records show the call was made at approximately 8:26 AM.

The state panel investigating the massacre estimated Cho killed two students inside West Ambler Johnston Hall at around 7:15 AM.

Fierberg said the operator transferred the professor to Tech’s Office of University Relations, where whomever took the call told the professor the rumor “must be a joke,“ and “if anyone would know about a shooting, we would know first.“

The panel +estimated Cho continued his massacre in Norris Hall beginning around 9:40 AM.

The panel found Virginia Tech police notified the school’s Office of the Executive Vice President, which includes University Relations, at 7:57 AM.

Some of the families have said they believe a lock down of the entire campus was needed.

Tech officials have always maintained a campus-wide shutdown would’ve been nearly impossible.

The settlement cleared Virginia Tech and the commonwealth of any liability from the shootings.