BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on Tuesday sent a letter of condolences to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over the shooting rampage at a Virginia university.

Li condemned the violent act and said that he was "shocked" by the shootings.

He expressed "deepest condolences" to the victims and "sincere solicitude" to the U.S. government and its people, especially the injured and the family members of the victims.

In the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history, a gunman massacred 32 people at Virginia Tech on Monday before shooting himself. At least 15 people were wounded, some seriously.