None of the twenty Bulgarians, who study or work at Virginia Tech University, has been injured in Monday's shooting spree when a South Korean fellow student killed 32.

Talking to local 24 Hours daily the Bulgarians criticised authorities for waiting too long to alert people a gunman was on the loose.

"What happened is a huge tragedy for our university. I can't help thinking 31 lives would have been saved if officials had not ignored the first incident and had immediately locked down the campus," says Elitsa Ananieva.

"I am shocked and can't believe this has really happened," doctor Rumen Tsonev shared. "The university enjoys an excellent reputation, while Blacksburg is a small and beautiful town."

Virginia Tech, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia, has been a university on the rise in recent decades.

Though its academic reputation still trails the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, it is popular because of its strong standing, its low cost and - until Monday - the safe, small-town atmosphere of Blacksburg.

Virginia Tech is the state's largest university, with more than 26,000 students, one of the nation's top-ranked schools in engineering and architecture.

Nearly all students live on or near campus, which features buildings raised with a distinctive native limestone.

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