Shots Fired on Virginia College Campus

WOODBRIDGE, Va. - Prince William County Police say they have a 20-year-old student in custody after shots were fired in a classroom at the Northern Virginia Community College Woodbridge campus on Tuesday afternoon. Police say Jason Hamilton is charged after allegedly firing shots at a female professor in a classroom.

According to investigators, they were notified around 2:40 p.m. Tuesday of a student who was armed with a gun on the campus. A Prince William County Police spokesperson says the gunman went into a math class in the main building and pointed a high-power rifle at a female professor. The spokesperson says the teacher hit the floor when she saw the gun, and the gunman then fired several shots, but no one was hit.

"From what I understand, they hit the floor and had the students evacuated," said Provost Sam Hill. "She was also assisted by another faculty member."

One student at the scene told FOX 5's Wisdom Martin that the student stood up in the classroom and said, 'I'm about to make history,' before pointing the gun at the teacher.

At the same time, community college Officer Anthony Mellis had just finished a traffic stop when he heard two gunshots.

"I went around to the area where I thought the sound came from," said Officer Mellis. "I started asking questions, I heard a second one. That confirmed it was gunshots. People were running out of the building."

All the students and the teacher got out unharmed, but the gunman was still in classroom 412.

"It was just kind of surreal to me," student John Smith told FOX 5 as he left the campus. "It's the first time I have been at a school with a shooting."
 

RAW VIDEO FROM THE SCENE:

Officer Mellis called for backup. Meanwhile, teachers and campus administrators were scrambling to warn students to leave campus now.

"We were in the activities room and they told us to get out of the building as soon as possible," student Martin Amoaka-Atta said.

"Stuff like Virginia Tech passes through your mind obviously on a smaller scale," said student Kacey Collins.

Provost Hill says they activated the emergency alert system.

"We have a system where we notify all computers, text messaging for those students who signed up," Hill explained. "We also have a digital messaging system throughout the campus that was also informed, and then we have phones in all of the classrooms."

Students were stunned and had no idea what was happening, or if it was real.

"I was honestly scared," said Carl Gill, another student. "I go to classes here. To think that could happen here, it blows your mind."

When police got to room 412, they say Hamilton was sitting in the hallway with his weapon.

"He told us there was no one else there, he confirmed he was the shooter and we took him into custody," Officer Mellis said.

Hamilton was arrested without incident, and no one was hurt in this shooting. But the situation could have been a lot worse.
 

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Hamilton has been identified as a student that attends NOVA-Woodbridge Campus. He is charged with attempted murder and discharge of a firearm in a school zone. He is being held without bound and has a court date set for January 11, 2010.

Classes have been cancelled for the day and the campus has been closed, school officials say. All evening activities scheduled at the campus were also cancelled, and the campus was closed until at least noon on Wednesday.