Monday was the deadliest day on an American college campus.

At least 32 people were killed on Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg, Va., after a lone gunman opened fire in a campus dorm and an academic building and then allegedly killed himself. The toll is the highest for any shooting rampage, on or off a school campus, in U.S. history.

In media interviews, some Virginia Tech students questioned their administration's response to the shootings. Students were notified via email of the first shooting - two hours after it happened and shortly before the shooter's assault on a second building on campus.

The tragedy on Virginia Tech's campus rattled UL students, many of whom said they felt their campus was safer than most in the state.

UL has Code Blue emergency boxes students can activate to immediately alert the UL police department. In cases of campuswide emergency, information would be disseminated to the campus via e-mail and broadcast telephone messages.

Midday some students watched updates about the shootings on the widescreen television in the Sidelines café in the Student Union.

Clarence Moses, a UL junior in accounting, said the events will make him more cautious on campus.

"I wouldn't think it would happen here, but probably they thought the same thing," Moses said and pointed to the television.

As a residence hall counselor, Lamar Dickson said time and again he's been reassured by UL police officers' response to calls for assistance.

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Marsha Sills
msills@theadvertiser.com