The news was outdated almost as soon as it began appearing on TV cable news channels and their Internet sites.

One killed at Virginia Tech rapidly and tragically turned into 20 dead, and then 22 dead with even more injured.

At 10:06 a.m., CNN began its initial coverage. Information was sketchy but was soon updated by on-scene reporters in the form of students.

One student's cell phone caught armed officers circling a building. The picture was shaky; tiny pops -- gunfire -- could be clearly heard.

"The first thing I saw is when the policemen started taking their guns out," Jamal Albarghouti told CNN about his cell-phone footage.

"Then I knew this was serious. I didn't hear anything about the shooting that happened in [the dorm]. But when I saw the guns, I thought there was another bomb threat," said Albarghouti, referring to events on campus last week.

"And then all the cops were trying to get into Norris Hall and they used like a bomb or something to open one of the doors. Probably they dropped a tear bomb in the building. There was a person on the second floor of Norris trying to tell the cops that he's in there. And probably trying to guide them in."

By noon, local TV channels were using footage from TV stations in the Roanoke area, extending coverage into the afternoon. On CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, Virginia Tech remained the sole story.