The massacre began at 7.10am this morning when a lone gunman entered a dormitory at Virginia Tech, the largest university in the state. He killed two people, a man and a woman, on the fourth floor of the West Ambler Johnston Hall, one of the biggest halls of residence with sleeping quarters for 895 students. There was “mass chaos”, one undergraduate said — “lots of students running around, going crazy”. At 7.15am the first emergency call was made. Police cars and ambulances rushed to the scene and armed teams fanned out around the hall, on the southwest side of the 2,600-acre campus, trying to find the gunman amid swirling snow. Police and university authorities believed that the incident was “domestic” and was contained. They said later that there was reason to believe that the gunman had fled. By this time around 14,000 students and staff were on their way to the campus. The university sent e-mails to all its members but decided against shutting the campus. Charles Steger, the president, said: “We concluded that once they got to the classroom, that was the best place to lock them down.” The e-mail had few details. It read: “A shooting incident occurred at West Ambler Johnston earlier this morning. Police are on the scene and are investigating.” The message warned students to be cautious and contact police about anything suspicious.

Police were interviewing away from the scene a “person of interest” held after the first shooting. But at 9.40am gunfire began again. Shots came from Norris Hall, an engineering building filled with classrooms. Jamal Albarghouti, a student, filmed the scene with his mobile phone, images that were broadcast on CNN before the full scale of the massacre was known. Armed police look left and right, startled, as shot after shot can be heard in the distance. The shooting went on for at least 40 seconds. Initial reports put the death toll at one. Then Wendell Flinchum, Virginia Tech’s police chief, brought gasps at a 12.45pm news conference when he announced that at least 21 people had been killed. Matt Maroney, a student, told Sky News that 43 people had been shot, adding that students had thrown desks at a door and a teacher had been shot in the arm. The gunman, he said, “had an ungodly amount of ammo on him. He was just dressed in a vest filled with clips and started firing away at classrooms”. CONTINUE READING

Joe’s R&B masterpiece “Ain’t Nothing Like Me” will finally hit stores next week – April 24, 2007! Guest features include Nas, Papoose, Fabolous, Young Buck, Dre and production from Jermaine Dupri, Dre & Vidal, Tim & Bob, Brian Michael Cox, Stargate and Sean Garrett. Those are some hott names, so this album looks like it’s gonna be a scorcher! – Yeah, that sounded pretty wack but I like the connection between “hott” and “scorcher.” Anyhow, check out the official tracklist after the cut, and be sure to save your pennies so you can go out and support Joe by purchasing his 4th album – “Ain’t Nothing Like Me” – in stores APRIL 24, 2007!!!

» AUDIO: IF I WAS YOUR MAN
WINDOWS MEDIA | REAL PLAYER

» VIDEO: IF I WAS YOUR MAN
WINDOWS MEDIA | REAL PLAYER CONTINUE READING

 

Rapper Romeo, son of rap mogul Master P, is reportedly putting his music career on hold to play college basketball. According to Fox Sports, Percy “Romeo” Miller committed to USC coach Tim Floyd and his Trojans on Friday (April 13), where he is expected to play and attend school. The 17-year-old rapper showed up on Friday to let Floyd know he planned to come to USC after he graduates. His father, Master P, feels like it’s the right decision for his son.

“It’s great for him,” said Master P told FoxSports.com. “USC is a great school and I felt like he made a great decision.”

Romeo averaged 13.9 points and 5.6 assists per game at Beverly Hills High as a junior this past season and showed and proved he could play last summer at the ABCD Camp in New Jersey. With basketball dreams in the future, the young rapper will focus solely on the sport, according to his father, but will have other schooling as a backup, just in case.

“He’s got a lot to prove because of his name,” said Demar Derozan, Romeo’s best friend and also a top scouted high school player. “He’s no gimmick. He can play and is going to be one of the top point guards in the 2008 class. He can be polishing up his film career at USC,” Master P said. “When he’s finished after four years at 21 or 22 years old, he’ll hopefully be able to take either basketball to the next level or Hollywood to the next level. This is what it’s all about,” he added. “I’m just glad he has the opportunity to do both.”

Congratz Ro! Represent for that good ol’ 2008!! But yeah, it’s good that he’s getting the opportunity to play basketball for USC, I mean, his “rap career” (can you really call it that?) sho’ hell wasn’t goin nowhere!!! And that lil’ show he had on Nick was definitely not the business. Ouch! Harsh? Yes, but oh so true…

LOOKING FOR THE “CHRIS BROWN ARRESTED” STORY? CLICK HERE!

An actor in the Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven television program is free on bail after he was arrested early Tuesday and charged with marijuana possession. Orlando Brown, 19, who plays Eddie Thomas, the best friend of star Raven Symone on the popular show, was arrested after police pulled him over about 1 a.m. in the 4200 block of Westheimer. The officer stopped the 1992 Acura Integra that Brown was driving because the headlights were off. During a search of the car, the officer found the marijuana on the driver’s side door. Brown, in an interview, denied that the marijuana belonged to him. Also a singer and rapper, he said a friend lent him the car to use during his stay in Houston to make an album. Brown said he thought the car’s headlights were on when the officer pulled him over. Brown was taken into custody without incident and charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession. He was released on bond. In addition to the Disney Channel television show, Brown has appeared in several movies, including Max Keeble’s Big Move and Major Payne.

“I didn’t know what was in the car. That’s not what I do. I consider myself a youth activist,” he said. “I don’t want this (arrest) lingering over my head,” Brown said. “I love what I do. Why jeopardize what I built?”

Yeah, yeah, yeah .. prove your innocence and what-not. I don’t doubt that you’re not guilty or whatever, but damn son! What the hell were YOU doing driving a ‘92 Acura?! You’re old enough to take ya ass to a car rental place, and rent yourself your own whip! Shame on you…

106 & Park co-host Rocsi Diaz is featured on the cover of the June 2007 issue of King Magazine. Check out the scans from the issue after the cut. CONTINUE READING

 

Divorce has its price – and no celeb, it appears, knows that better than Michael Jordan. The basketball superstar’s split last December from his wife of 17 years, Juanita, is No. 1 on Forbes.com’s list of “The 10 Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces.” Juanita Jordan could possibly “get more than $150 million in a settlement, making the Jordan divorce the most expensive in entertainment history,” Forbes said. Neil Diamond, whose 1995 divorce from Marcia Murphey cost him an estimated $150 million, holds second place. Steven Spielberg comes in third for paying his ex-wife Amy Irving an estimated $100 million, which was then half his fortune, when they divorced in 1989. The Oscar-winning director is now worth $3 billion.

Also making the list are estimated settlements between Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison ($85 million); Kevin Costner and Cindy Silva ($80 million); Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, whose divorce could cost him more than $60 million; James Cameron and Linda Hamilton ($50 million); Michael and Diandra Douglas ($45 million and two homes); Lionel and Diane Richie ($20 million); and Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall ($15 to $25 million). Forbes said they researched divorces of the last 25 years in compiling the list, which was posted Thursday on its Web site.

Dayummmmmmm! $150 million?? Am I reading that right? Mrs. Jordan Juanita is gettin PAID! Oh, by the way Juanita, if you’re reading this … you’re welcome! You see, I’m a really huge Michael Jordan fan (hence my AOL screenname – jmpmntwnty3 – Jump Man 23), and with my collection of Jordans (well over 50 pairs @ about $150 each), and my collection of retro Jerseys sitting in my closet right this very second, I’m 100% positive that I contributed AT LEAST 0.0000000000000000000000000000001% of that $150 million. No, really, I did the math … but you can thank me later ;-)

 

The Style Network has announced a new reality show that will follow the life of Kimora Lee Simmons, wife of mogul Russell Simmons and head of the Baby Phat fashion line, a sister company to Phat Farm.

“Kimora Lee Simmons is simply a fascinating woman,” said Salaam Coleman Smith, Executive Vice President, The Style Network, in a statement. “She is refreshingly blunt, absolutely honest and outrageously entertaining. This series is going to open a lot of women’s eyes to the possibilities life has to offer, and all of us at Style are happy to be working with such an inspirational woman.”

The series will give viewers an inside look at Kimora’s personal life, as she takes care of her two daughters, while also showing viewers what happens behind the scenes at Baby Phat. The show, tentatively titled Kimora, will debut this summer on the Style Network.

I don’t know about y’all, but I know I’ll definitely be watching this. In my opinion, Kimora Lee Simmons is one of the sexiest Asians I’ve ever seen! Real talk! And you have to admit, that Simmons family stay on their grind.