twitter alert

THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY...

UPDATE, 2:30 P.M. EST via HUFFINGTON POST:

Gunshots were reported near a parking lot on the Virginia Tech campus on Thursday, according to a Twitter alert issued by the school.

The university later released a statement, clarifying some details and confirming that two individuals were dead.

The suspect was reportedly a white male, wearing "gray sweat pants, gray hat w/neon green brim, maroon hoodie and backpack." The campus has been put on lockdown.

According to the school's official Twitter feed, a police officer had been shot in a campus parking lot. The Associated Press writes that a law enforcement official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case, said initial reports indicated that the shooting occurred following a traffic stop.