'Police came out of nowhere'

Arsalan Heydarian was in an English class at Virginia Tech when a gunman entered the next door building and started shooting. He described the experience to the BBC News website.

I was in class right next to Norris Hall. The only thing I heard was gun shots and the only thing I saw was armed cops. They came out of nowhere.

I saw a man with a machine gun. The cops pushed a guy on the ground and started searching him.

They told us to stay away from the windows.

Our teacher didn't make it. A friend called and said my other friend Heidi was in French class in Norris Hall. That's when I started really worrying.

I tried to contact my parents to let them know I was alright. I then found out Heidi was in the hospital.

She was shot three times in the leg while she was in class. She's just come out of surgery. She's going to be fine, but she's in a wheelchair.

'Didn't make it'

Two of my other friends didn't make it though. One died at 7.15am yesterday morning. His name was Ryan. He was going to graduate soon with three different degrees. He was one of Virginia Tech's best students. He was nice to everyone.

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I had a class at Norris Hall around 12 o'clock today, which, thank god, was cancelled. We are now all going to gather to hear what the president and the governor have to say.

I think it is insane, Virginia Tech is a great campus and in the past 28 years it hasn't had any problems like this.

A lot of my friends are going back home and their parents are coming here to pick them up.

I'm a freshman here at Virginia Tech, and this is definitely the year that I will never forget.