1 dead, 4 injured in hookah bar shooting near Virginia Tech

Feb. 5 (UPI) -- A shooting overnight at a hookah bar near Virginia Tech university left one person dead and four others injured, police announced Saturday.

Gunfire erupted just before midnight Friday at the Melody Hookah Found in Blacksburg.

The Blacksburg Police Department said one person died and four others were transported to area hospitals. One of the injured was a student at the school, Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said.

"Events like this are difficult and unsettling to all of us. Please care for yourself and seek assistance if you need it," Sands said in a statement. "Our community is strong, and our strength is derived from our genuine care and concern for one another."

Police said the extent of the injuries was unknown.

The school was placed into lockdown until about 3:15 a.m.

Virginia Tech -- formally Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University -- was the site of the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. In 2007, an undergraduate student opened fire in multiple buildings, killing 32 people and injuring more than a dozen others.