The Hill News

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said his and his office's "prayers" are with students and personnel at Virginia Tech in light of a shooting on Thursday.

"We are all saddened and stunned to hear about the tragedy at Virginia Tech today," Cantor said in a statement. "Such violence is never easy to explain, and cuts to our core â€" especially on a campus that has experienced such grief in the past. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, their families and the entire Hokie Community. We also pray for the law enforcement officials who are risking their own lives to keep the Virginia Tech campus safe."

On Thursday, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (commonly referred to as Virginia Tech) was put on lockdown after two people, including a police officer, were fatally shot, according to published reports. Virginia Tech was also the site of the 2007 shooting that left 33 dead. 

"My thoughts and prayers are with the! entire Virginia Tech community and the Town of Blacksburg as we continue to learn more about the shooting on campus today," Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), whose district includes Virginia Tech, said in a statement.  "I hope you will join me in lifting up the Hokie Nation in prayer."

According to multiple reports, the shooting happened at around noon. Virginia Tech released a statement a few hours after saying the "suspect's status remains unknown."

"Our prayers and our hearts are with Virginia Tech right now," Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus tweeted.

Virginia senate candidate Tim Kaine issued a similar statement via Twitter.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who were killed at Virginia Tech today, as well as the entire Tech community," he! said.

"I urge everyone to exercise extreme cauti! on while law enforcement works to find the suspect," Kaine wrote in a separate tweet. 

â€"This story was last updated at 3:07 p.m.