Virginia Governor Tim Kaine has declared a state of emergency in the Commonwealth after 32 people, mostly students, were killed today in two shootings at Virginia Tech University. Dozens are still hospitalized with injuries ranging from minor to critical. The tragedy is being called the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

Officials say the assailant, described as an Asian man in his 20s, took his own life after the second attack. The first shooting happened around 7:15 a.m. on the fourth floor of West Ambler Johnston Hall, a dorm that houses almost 900 students. Two people died in that shooting. Over two hours later, authorities say the same man opened fire at Norris Hall, an engineering and science building. 31 people died in that building, including the gunman.

As the story unfolded many students called into news stations to recount events. One man told MSNBC that he was in the classroom where the majority of victims were killed, describing a horrific scene of dead and wounded students.

After the first shootings, police told students and press that they had a suspect in custody. Officials now say that confusion arose from their belief that the dorm murders were an isolated incident, possibly stemming from a domestic dispute. Students have raised concerns about the lack of information after the first attack. Classes continued and it wasn’t until the second shooting that the campus was locked down, with students and faculty told to stay away from windows as law enforcement swept through the university. Virginia Tech President Charles Steger said in a news conference this evening that over 36,000 students and faculty are on campus on any given day.

There are still many questions surrounding today’s events. Police say they are still looking for a “person of interest” in the case, though they don’t describe him as a suspect. Neither the victims, nor the shooter have been identified. During frequent press conferences held throughout the day, reporters also asked why officials didn’t institute a campus-wide alert after the initial murders. It’s also unclear whether police exchanged fire with the suspect. Local and state police are now working with the FBI and ATF to get a better picture of how the day unfolded. Obviously after such a shocking day, answers may be slow to surface.

Our hearts go out to everyone in the Virgina Tech community, including the many alumni and families living in our area.