The Rocky Mountain Collegian

April 16th, 2007

Virginia Tech Shooting

It is a sad day for America today; deep sorrow and pain resonate across the nation, throughout households, across campuses, and in the hearts of those who lost loved ones, and in essence, a part of their own lives.

I have been asked to deviate from my usually lighthearted subject of writing about television to a far more somber (and admittedly difficult) topic: the shootings that occurred today at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg. According to CNN, university officials have claimed that at least 33 people, including a gunman, were killed during shootings in a dorm and a classroom building on the VT campus.

All day long I had the TV turned on to cable news stations, watching as events unfolded. I began scouring the internet for more information, and soon my thoughts turned to the possibility of a similar scenario unfolding on the CSU campus. Familiar images of college life began to flood my brain. I imagined walking through the crowd across the plaza on a spring day, taking part in a study group in the library, or sitting in my Russian politics class, laughing with my classmates; I am unable to even imagine a situation in which a person would want to come into the familiarity of my life and cause this kind of harm to my fellow students. It wasn’t long before I began to ask myself “why?” It was the same indescribable reaction I had felt after Columbine and 9/11.

This is the point where we are usually given those post-tragedy reminders, to “be kind to one another”, “don’t take life for granted”, and “tell your friends and family that you love them”. But as the nation sits tonight in shock, dismay, and sorrow, I don’t think we need to be reminded.

Some known facts about the incident (from CNN.com ):

• Two people were killed at a dormitory about 7:15 a.m., while another 30 people were killed about two hours later at Norris Hall.
• The gunman at Norris Hall, whose death is under scrutiny, was not carrying identification and has not been identified.
• A total of 29 injured people from the shootings, who are being listed as in “stable” or “critical” condition, are being treated in hospitals in Roanoke, Christiansburg, Blacksburg and Salem.
• University police Chief Wendell Flinchum said police were still investigating whether the two incidents are related. Investigators are not ruling out a second shooter, Flinchum said.
• Asked why the campus, which has more than 26,000 students, was not shut down after the first shooting, Flinchum responded that police determined “it was an isolated event to that building and the decision was made not to cancel classes at that time.”
• So far there has been criticism over the school’s handling of the incident, with claims that warnings came too late. (From MSNBC.com)

The incident is now the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history; previous incidents include:

· 1991: In Killen, TX, George Hennard drove a pickup truck into a cafeteria and then fatally shot 23 people, before shooting himself (before Monday, this was the deadliest mass shooting).

· 1966: At the University of Texas campus, Charles Joseph Whitman, a 25-year-old ex-Marine, killed 13 people, and was then killed by police.

· 1999: At Columbine High School in Littleton, CO, 17-year-old Dylan Klebold and 18-year-old Eric Harris — armed with guns and pipe bombs — killed 12 students and a teacher before killing themselves.

Reaction Statements (From MSNBC.com):

· “Today, our nation grieves with those who have lost loved ones…We hold the victims in our hearts, we lift them up in our prayers and we ask a loving God to comfort those who are suffering today.” – President Bush

· “The university was struck today with a tragedy of monumental proportions. There were two shootings on campus. In each case, there were fatalities. The university is shocked and horrified that this would befall our campus. I want to extend my deepest, sincerest and most profound sympathies to the families of these victims, which include students.” – V.T. President Charles Steger

· “I am shocked and saddened to hear the news of today’s events. This inconceivable tragedy was a horrific act of cruelty that took the lives of so many innocent young people, cutting their lives short and inflicting tremendous pain on all of those who loved them.” – Sen. John McCain

· “These were future leaders, our most precious resource. To see them struck down at the prime of life like this is a tragedy and I think we have to do some soul searching to find out are there ways we can prevent these things from happening again.” – Sen. Barack Obama

Statements by eyewitnesses and students (from MSNBC.com):

• “I really thought they should have canceled classes sooner. If they had, maybe some of these deaths could have been prevented.” - Sam Leake (junior student, according to the campus newspaper, The Collegiate Times)
• “He didn’t say a single word the whole time. He didn’t say get down, he didn’t say anything. He just came in and started shooting.” – Trey Perkins (sophomore student)
• “I saw bullets hit people’s body. There was blood everywhere. People in the class were passed out, I don’t know maybe from shock from the pain. But I was one of only four that made it out of that classroom. The rest were dead or injured.” – Erin Sheehan (student)

This incident is already bringing up a whole array of issues, from the investigation itself, to questions about gun control in the country, to violence in the media, to whether campuses and schools across the country are prepared for incidents such as these.

It is still too early for speculation about all of the details of this event. Right now the most important thing is to comfort and support those who have been affected by this tragedy, and keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Facebook members:

Check out various groups being formed to support VTech students, get information about a suggested Remembrance Day and other resources.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 16th, 2007 at 11:09 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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