Harris addresses attack on apartment

Wednesday, November, 14, 2007; 12:00 AM | 14 | | Print

Junior cornerback Victor 'Macho' Harris addressed the media last night regarding the shootings into his apartment Sunday morning.

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Virginia Tech Football player Victor "Macho" Harris made a statement Tuesday addressing the shooting that occurred at his apartment early in the morning of Nov 11.

Following yesterday's football practice, Harris addressed the media with a single statement about the incident, after which he would only accept questions concerning football and his upcoming game against Miami.

"The incident that took place at my apartment was a random situation," said Harris in the address. "I don't have any enemies or nothing like that. Like I said, the shooting was very random and the police are looking into it right now. That's all I got to say about it."

In addition to yesterday's statement by Harris, head coach Frank Beamer held his regular midday press conference that occurs every Tuesday before a football game. In the earlier conference, Macho also refused to answer questions regarding the shooting.

"I know kind of what you know, and I've talked to some people here," Beamer told the crowd in his opening statements at the earlier conference. "Shots were fired into his apartment late at night. From what I know, I don't think any of our people are at fault here, and it's under police investigation, and that's the last I'm talking about that until the police investigation is done."

Captain Bradbery of the Blacksburg Police Department said there were no updates in the case, including a possible motive in the shootings, as of Tuesday afternoon.

The incident has not been linked to the fights that started earlier that same night in Oge Chi's restaurant and bar, and continued out onto Draper Road, where police made several arrests.


Leave a comment 14 Comments Write a letter to the editor

VT Alumni '05 | # November 14, 2007 @ 1:01 AM — Flag Comment

GET MORE POLICE IN B'BURG! The crime is starting to increase, so start to prepare ways to stop it! I have dreams of sending my children to VT one day, but with all the articles I've been reading about B'burg...I may have to change my mind. B'burg Police need to FIX this before it gets worse! -Very Concerned Hokie Alum

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Lee Hawkins | # November 14, 2007 @ 2:00 AM — Flag Comment

oh RIGHT, because theres no violence anywhere else in VA... you people are funny... stop singling VT out. Violence around normal cities is several times as severe.

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Lisa | # November 14, 2007 @ 8:59 AM — Flag Comment

Lee, you are my hero today.

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TG | # November 14, 2007 @ 10:17 AM — Flag Comment

Yeah, but as an '07 graduate this kind of crime wasn't present while I was there. And IF it was they didn't report it. I find it hard to believe they didn't report it then, but now cover every story. Something's amiss. And I am now in D.C. and the crime is 3746764 times worse, but that's expected. Not saying Blacksburg is an Oasis, but something's up.

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J | # November 14, 2007 @ 10:23 AM — Flag Comment

More B'burg police isn't going to "fix" the problem. Crime is everywhere. To VT Alum '05, Maybe it's the type of students VT is accepting into school. Also, I may be going out on a limb, but I bet before the tragedy, crime that was committed was often kept out of the public eye or hushed up by Police.

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At vt still | # November 14, 2007 @ 10:51 AM — Flag Comment

After the shootings last year, the BLACKSBURG Police have been reporting more crime to the students. This crime has occured in the past and there is not really any INCREASE in crime; ya'll just didn't hear about it back then. Blacksburg has PLENTY of police. There are so many police that they in fact harass innocent people. Police are there to catch criminals; you are still responsible for your own well being and safety. Don't send your kids here if you are so concerned. I've never felt safer in my life.

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Josh | # November 14, 2007 @ 12:08 PM — Flag Comment

its an isolated incident...there is no increase in crimes here its the norm at any school its just being broadcasted more frequently around here now

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Lee Hawkins | # November 14, 2007 @ 2:20 PM — Flag Comment

For the record, im sorry if some people dont feel safe. Its understandable given what has happened. But do NOT get it confused, violence here isnt much worse now than has ever been its just that now VT is in the spotlight. We have been since August 06 and the Morva thing, not to mention last April. Because of this, we have been under a microscope so it seems that things are worse than they are. Now everything is getting printed and reported on. Its clearly unsettling to many, but dont fall prey to the illusion that blacksburg is BECOMING unsafe. Get it right, it either was ALREADY unsafe, OR... it wasnt and STILL IS NOT unsafe.

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JS | # November 14, 2007 @ 3:20 PM — Flag Comment

Maybe crime in Blacksburg is increasing, but given the events of last year, the police are ABSOLUTELY releasing more information to the public. It has been admitted both by VT and by the local police that communications between authorities and students has been increased. A police officer once told me they found so many guns on people on Draper Road (near OCs and Cinco), that it wasnt a matter of IF someone was going to be shot, but WHEN someone would be shot. If you have ever been on Draper anytime after midnight, you know how crowded it gets and you know there is a great police presence. OCs needs to get their bar in check. I used to hang out there a good amount, but won't set foot in there anymore.

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PC is bad | # November 14, 2007 @ 5:28 PM — Flag Comment

It's funny how a ~100 person fight (and most fights DT) seem to happen at a place where a certain group of people tend to frequent. Ironically, the majority of people in said group have a unique characteristic that allows them to be categorized easily. Now, I could just saw the area is full of thugs and there is a greater concentrations of blacks there, but that wouldn't be politically correct, would it? I wonder what Bill Cosby would say.

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FORGET PC | # November 14, 2007 @ 7:03 PM — Flag Comment

To me being politically correct is a form of censorship and I don't believe in censorship. There is no need to hide things and try to be nice about them ,it's just best if it is outright said. 'PC is bad' said it like it is and I like that. And to top this off I will leave you with one last 'politically uncorrect' statement that I admire "Pretty soon we're not going to have a young African-American male population in America. They're all going to be in prison or dead."- John Edwards

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LA Hokie | # November 14, 2007 @ 7:33 PM — Flag Comment

I'm an '00 grad. When I moved to Tech in '97, there were two things that were alarming: 1. The crimes that had occured around there, and 2. The legend status that these crimes attained because they were talked about so much. When you're with 20,000 people who have never lived on their before, they always talk about the remarkable things of their new environment. I live at USC right now, in LA, and believe me, that there is far more crime here. Broad daylight muggings and carjackings and abductions have all happened this semester. They get sent out in emails as part of commonplace security efforts. They hype is dead. The fact that there is still hype in Blacksburg, is healthy and adorable, and means that it is still relatively very safe. Besides, if you're willing to fight, you'll find trouble anywhere. I hope Victor forgets about all this by morning.

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Louisiana Hokie | # November 15, 2007 @ 1:27 AM — Flag Comment

I just graduated this past spring from Tech, and during the years I was there, there were an over abundant amount of cops for the sole purpose of catching underage drinkers and intoxicated students going towards their cars in the parking lot next to TOTS...Maybe the problem is the priority of the cops. Instead of padding their alochol related arrests for monatary grants at a major university at the expense of bringing unjust stress for many students who just want to experience college life, they should start focusing on fighting and preventing the real violent crimes that are really tarnishing our school's image. The cops in blacksburg, I must say are never there when you need them, However, they are there when you do not need them...

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Lee Hawkins | # November 15, 2007 @ 10:10 AM — Flag Comment

There are a certain group of poeple who usually fight... but that nothing to do with their RACE and everything to do with their role here at tech. Besides, I know where this is going, football players right? Well just so you all know, the football players arent half of the problem (anymore) that the locals from roanoke, pulaski, (...etc) are. They come to Blacksburg to party (God knows why) and get to starting trouble. Sometimes with with the FB players but most of the time its with themselves. Personally, i wish CERTAIN bars down here would bar people without college IDs but that wouldnt be fair i guess, so i digress.

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