U.S. President George W. Bush has ordered all federal flags to be flown at half mast in memory of those who died in Monday's shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said.

Bush and his wife, Laura, will travel to Blacksburg, Virginia, where Virginia Tech is located, to attend a convocation to help the university begin healing following the tragedy. Bush is expected to make brief comments at the gathering.

"They are going to be there to express the sympathies, the support and the prayers of the country," Perino said.

"He will remark about the amazing strength of the community, and I'm not just talking about the city limits of Blacksburg," Perino said, adding that Bush plans to give three television interviews on campus before returning to the White House.

Bush, in a brief statement at the White House Monday, said he was "shocked and saddened" by the shooting.

"Schools should be places of safety and sanctuary and learning, when that sanctuary is violated the impact is felt in every American classroom and every American community," Bush said. "Today our nation grieves with those who have lost loved ones at Virginia Tech."

"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," 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 statement added.

Earlier Tuesday, Virginia Tech police chief Wendell Flinchum said at a press conference that the gunman in Monday's shooting was a 23-year-old South Korean identified as Cho Seung-Hui.

"He was a 23-year-old South Korean here in the U.S. as a resident alien," Flinchum said at a press conference held at Blacksburg.

Cho was an undergraduate student in his senior year majoring in English, Flinchum said. He lived on campus at Harper Hall and his residence was established in Centreville, Virginia outside Washington.

Colonel Steve Flaherty, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, said the same gun was used in the two shootings at the university, suggesting there was only one gunman.

South Korean embassy has issued a statement saying it was "shocked and dismayed" by the crime committed by a South Korean student.

Previous reports had said there was a possible second gunman still at large.

The first attack happened in a dormitory around 7:15 a.m. and left two people dead, while the second attack took place at the campus two hours later.

A total of 33 people, including the gunman, were killed in the worst campus shooting rampage in U.S. history.

Virginian Tech President Charles Steger said earlier Tuesday that all classes for the rest of the week had been cancelled.

A memorial service will be held at the campus Tuesday afternoon and Bush will attend.

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

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

Source: Xinhua