WASHINGTON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- President George W. Bush said on Monday that he was "horrified" by the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history which reportedly killed at least 32 people.

    "He was horrified and his immediate reaction was one of deep concern for the families of the victims, the victims themselves, the students, the professors and all the people of Virginia who have dealt with this shocking incident," White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement. "His thoughts and prayers are with them."

    "The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed," the spokesman added.

    A gunman opened fire in a dormitory and a class room at Virginia Tech University during a two-hour span, university police chief Wendell Flinchum said. He said the suspect was dead, but it was unclear whether the gunman was killed by police or took his own life.

    "The university was struck today with a tragedy of monumental proportions. There was two shootings on campus. In each case, there were fatalities," University President Charles W. Steger said in a statement posted on the official website of Virginia Tech.

    "The university is shocked and horrified that this would befall our campus," he said.

    The university authorities have so far confirmed that at least 22 people were killed in the shooting sprees, including the suspect, and more than two dozens of others injured. But latest news reports put the death toll at over 30.

    The university, situated in Blacksburg, southwest Virginia, will be closed through Tuesday and faculty and staff members were asked to go home effective immediately after the incident.

    Previously, the deadliest campus shooting in the country took place in 1966 at the University of Texas at Austin, in which 17 people, including the gunman, were killed.

    Founded in 1872, the state university had more than 25,000 full-time students. The school is best known for its engineering school and its powerhouse football team.