Man Kills 2 Sons, Himself At University in W.Va.

Two students at Shepherd University in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia were shot to death on campus yesterday by their father, who then shot and killed himself, state police said.

Police said the two students killed on the campus in Shepherdstown were Logan P. Pennington, 26, and Benjamin M. Pennington, 24. The father was identified as Douglas W. Pennington, 49.

The police said in a brief statement that Douglas Pennington went to the campus yesterday from the Grant County, W.Va., area to visit his sons.

The motive for the shooting was "probably a family issue of some type," state police Sgt. C.C. Morton said. He gave no details.

The shootings occurred about 2 p.m. between two campus buildings. Police said the father used a .38-caliber revolver to shoot his sons and himself.

People living near campus said students reported seeing three bodies lying on the ground, with would-be rescuers trying to administer CPR.

All three victims were taken to medical facilities and pronounced dead, state police said.

A campus spokeswoman said the two brothers were seniors at the university. State police said the two were roommates.

Morton said the shooting remained under investigation last night. Although he suggested a family issue might have been involved, he said police were "fairly certain that there was no dispute between [Douglas Pennington] and his sons."

Campus officials reached last night could provide no details about the young men. Friends and relatives of the three slain men could not be located immediately.

State police said the mother of the two students had been informed of their deaths and was distraught.

Campus officials said about 40 percent of students at the state-supported institution come from outside West Virginia. More than a quarter of the students are from Virginia and Maryland.

"We are stunned to hear about this terrible tragedy," university President David L. Dunlop said in a statement. "We want to emphasize that there is no continuing threat to any other students. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims."

Classes for the new school year have begun, but many students and faculty were away yesterday for the Labor Day weekend.

Several dozen students took part yesterday evening in a session with counselors at the Butcher Center, an athletic building near where the shooting occurred.

"We're very saddened by it, and we've mobilized our counselors to talk to students," said university spokeswoman Valerie Owens. "It's been an awful situation."

Staff writers Steve Vogel and Martin Weil contributed to this report.