The Virginia Tech Massacre

In 2007, the United States, and the world watched in horror as a massacre unfolded at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, VA. Carried out by a lone gunman, the attack left 32 people dead (plus the gunman) and 23 more injured, plus countless students and faculty suffering from mental health issues going forward.

bLACKSBURG, vIRGINIA

Around 3.5 to 4 hours West of Richmond, VA and maybe half an hour from the West Virginia border lies Blacksburg, Virginia. With a population of around 45,000 according to the 2020 census, Blacksburg is the birthplace of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. Also located in Blacksburg is Virginia Tech University, formerly Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. While VT’s main campus is in Blacksburg, it also operates campuses in the Dominican Republic and Switzerland. Through it’s Corps of Cadets ROTC program, VT is also considered a senior military college.

Their school mascot is literally just a turkey they call HokieBird. Student athletes there compete in Division 1 sports in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Several athletes have come out of VT and gone on to play in various professional sports leagues including the NFL, NBA, and MLB. VT is home to several research institutes and operates a research portfolio of over $520 Million and is considered an “R1 Doctoral University – Very high research activity.” VT is the top employer in Blacksburg, with over 5000 employees.

Buttttt, you saw the title and know what we’re going to talk about today. On April 16th, 2007 – 15 years ago – a gunman killed 32 people and wounded 17 others before killing himself. It is to this date, the largest school shooting in US history, followed by the Sandy Hook massacre. Only the Orlando Nightclub and Las Vegas shootings have more casualties, with 49 (Orlando) and 60 (Las Vegas) respectively.

The Gunman

Born on January 18th, 1984 in Asan, South Korea, his family migrated to the US when he was 8 years old. His parents came to the US for the same reason that many do, to give their three children opportunities they didn’t have in their homeland, a better education, and a shot at a better quality of life. Initially, they lived in Detroit, but moved to the Washington metropolitan area after they learned that it had one of the largest South Korean communities in the U.S. Eventually, they settled in Centerville, VA in Fairfax County and became permanent residents of the US as South Korean Nationals.

They joined a local Christan church, and the gunman himself was raised in the church, although after the massacre, a note that was discovered contained his writing in which he “rallied against his parents’ strong Christian faith.” The family opened a dry cleaning business in Centerville and tried to live a simple life, chasing the American dream.

Taking a dive into the killer’s past reveals a history of mental illness. Before the family came to the US, some family members in South Korea said that he acted differently from the other kids. They thought that he was selectively mute, choosing sometimes to just not talk. They suspected that he had a mental disability and learned at a slower pace. His grandfather said that he never made eye contact, or called him “Grandfather”. He would never move to embrace anyone.

Back in the US, when he attended elementary school, a family friend said that he would come home every day and throw a tantrum, saying he never wanted to go back to school. But teachers and classmates recalled that he was a standout in school. Their elementary program was established to be completed in three years, and he completed it in 1 and a half. He was often pointed out by teachers as an example of what other students should strive to achieve. His friends said that he wasn’t picked on and was friends with several students, not disliked at all.

In middle school though, things changed. He was painfully shy and was bullied for it. By the 8th grade, he was diagnosed with “Selective Mutism.” The bullying wasn’t just for his shyness though. English wasn’t his first language, and because of that, he had difficulty speaking sometimes and getting his point across. He had different speech mannerisms that people picked on him for. At least once on his record, he was also bullied because of his ethnicity. When he was in 9th grade, the Columbine attack happened. He was reportedly transfixed by the news and would watch anything he could regarding the massacre. It was like he idolized the shooters, for lack of a better term. He even wrote a paper in school about wanting to “repeat Columbine.” That paper was reported to his sister, who relayed it to his parents. He was sent to a psychiatrist after that but still graduated in 2003.

When he was in high school, he was placed in the special education program, classified as an “emotional disturbance.” According to the family, they were told that his mutism was caused by a form of Autism. No known diagnosis of autism has been found in his records though. He did receive mental health therapy throughout high school. After the massacre at VT, the school released a review panel report which dove into his past and mental health. A clinical psychologist said that based on the videos he made before the attack, he “wasn’t autistic, and was capable of talking to people.” A later report said that it was more likely that he suffered from Asperger’s syndrome. While his family had him seek mental health professionals, they also leaned heavily on their church to address his problems. Their pastor helped where he could, but noted that when he would talk with the young man, he rarely said a complete sentence.

In 2003, he enrolled at Virginia Tech, majoring in Business Information Technology, but by his senior year, he had changed to an English major, with plans on becoming a writer. While he attended the school, several professors that came into contact with him would urge him to seek counseling. Specifically, he was in a poetry class in 2005 taught by Nikki Giovanni. Looking back, she said that he had a “mean streak” and his behavior was “menacing”. He would wear sunglasses in class and all but refused to participate in class discussions.

Giovanni said that he intimidated the female students by trying to photograph their legs under their desks or by writing violent and obscene poetry. She wanted him removed from her class and talked to the department head Lucinda Roy. Giovanni told Roy that she would resign before she continued teaching with him in her class. Roy had experience with the shooter already though. She had taught him in “Introduction to Poetry” the year before. Eventually due to his writing and demeanor, she told him to stop attending class and taught him 1 on 1 instead. She would grow more and more worried for her safety and had a code word setup with her assistant to alert security if necessary. After the massacre occurred, Giovanni said that she “knew when it happened that that’s probably who it was and she would have been shocked if it wasn’t him.”

Students said that, not surprisingly, he was odd. During one English class, on the first day there was a sign in sheet for the students to sign, and he just signed his name as a question mark. From there, he was known as the question mark kid. When he was a freshman, he made an attempt to socialize with other people, but by his senior year, he had isolated himself almost completely. He told everyone he had a girlfriend named “Jelly.” During a party one night, after drinking, he told a roommate, Andy Koch, that his girlfriend was a supermodel who lived in space. During one Thanksgiving break, he called Koch and said that he was vacationing with Vladamir Putin in North Carolina.

Eventually Koch and another roommate, John Edie, began to stop talking to him and started to distance themselves. One night, He stood in Koch’s doorway and just took pictures of him, without saying a word. Koch and Edie told other people that they shouldn’t come to their dorm, especially female friends.

Two female students reported Him to the VT campus police, because they felt like He was stalking them. They issued Him warnings, but the student’s didn’t press charges. He used the online persona “Question Mark” to talk to women. On at least two occasions, police came to their dorm room to talk to Him regarding his behavior towards female students online. During one, they also questioned him about suicide threats he had made as well.

One student filed a complaint that He had made threats to her online and showed up uninvited to her dorm. The police told him not to contact her, which he complied with. Later, he contacted one of Koch’s female friends via AOL Instant Messenger, and wrote a line from Romeo and Juliet. Initially she wrote it off, but Koch reached out to her and told her that he suspected that his roommate was schizophrenic and possibly dangerous. She reached out to campus police and they told him to stop contact with her as well. Later that day, he emailed Koch and said that he “might as well kill himself.” Koch contacted his roommates dad and told him about the suicide threat. They both contacted campus police, who went back to the dorm room. They escorted him to the New River Valley Community Services Board, which is a mental health agency that worked in Blacksburg.

Once there, He underwent a psychiatric assessment and was found to be mentally ill and in need of hospitalization, but his insight and judgment were normal. After the assessment, He was released, but was labeled as an imminent danger to himself or others because of mental illness. He was ordered to attend treatment as an outpatient. He never did. The order was never followed up on by the hospital, community officials, or Virginia Tech officials.

This is a big point in this case, because He should have been disqualified from gun purchases and ownership based on his mental health. Someone who was involuntarily committed or ruled mentally incapacited would be disqualified, but because He was not involuntarily committed to a mental health facility, he was still eligible to buy guns under Virginia law.

The Massacre

The attack occurred on April 16th 2007, but there was preparation before.

Feb. 2007 – He ordered a handgun online, a Walther P22 .22 caliber handgun, which he picked up a few days later.

March 2007 – Date Unknown, He stayed in a motel in Roanoke and hired a private dancer for a one hour performance. On March 12th, He rented a van from Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Roanoke and kept it for almost a month. March 13th, he purchased a 9MM Glock and a box of ammunition. March 22nd, He went to a shooting range and practiced shooting and purchased more ammo. Range employees and patrons said they remembered a young Asian man videotaping himself in the parking lot in a maroon van. The same day, He purchased two 10 round magazines on eBay. March 23rd, He purchased three more 10 round magazines on eBay. March 31st, He purchased additional ammo and a hunting knife from Walmart.

April 2007 – He returned the van to enterprise. April 8th, He rented a room at the Hampton Inn in Christiansburg and videotaped segments for his video manifesto. April 13th, Bomb threats were anonomysously called into Torgersen, Durham, and Whittemore Halls on campus. April 14th, someone reported a suspicious looking man in a hoodie near the entrance to Norris Hall and some of the doors were chained shut. On April 15th, He called his family in Fairfax County one last time.

Monday, April 16th.

Around 7AM, he went into Ambler Johnston Hall and began to search the 4th floor room by room. It’s not clear who he was looking for, but he eventually confronted Emily Jane Hilscher. That’s when Ryan Clark, the floor’s resident assistant, stepped in and told Him to keep the noise down. That’s when He pulled out a handgun and killed both Hilscher and Clark. Police are notified by 7:15 and Blacksburg police come in and clear the building while establishing a perimeter.

Between then and 9:30 AM, West Ambler Hall was put on lockdown. The school’s leadership team met to discuss the situation and determine the best way to tell the university about the homicides. They were briefed by the campus police chief Wendell Flinchum. At 9AM, He overnighted a package to NBC News in NY. It contained photographs, videos, and writings. He used the wrong zip code though, and the package wouldn’t be delivered until Wednesday. Just before 9:30, the campus police sent out an email to faculty and students informing them of the shootings in Ambler Johnston Hall.

At this time, the police are under the impression that this is just an isolated incident. They learned that Hilscher had a boyfriend who she usually stayed with on the weekends off campus, and he would bring her back to her dorm on Mondays and drop her off. They got search warrants for his home and began to question him. He was a student at nearby Radford University, but as they were interviewing him, a call came in that there was an active shooter at Norris Hall, about a half mile from the dorm.

Norris Hall – Room 207 – James Bishop was teaching Elementary German when someone walked past the door and peeked through the window on the door. They assumed it was someone lost, looking for their class. About 10 minutes later though, He burst through the door and shot Bishop. He then turned to the students and opened fire as they dove and tried to hide behind desks and tables. The students in the front row were the first to die. After firing, he had to stop to reload, but he immediately started shooting again. The students said that he was very quick at reloading his weapon, it seemed like he had been trained. One student said that He never said a word the entire time, “I’ve never seen a straighter face.”

As suddenly as it started, it ended, He abruptly stopped and left the room. After he left and they heard shots ring out down the hall, Derek O’Dell, who was shot in the arm, helped other students barricade the door. A few minutes later, someone tried to push the door open, but was unable to. When He was unable to push through, He fired 6 shots through the door, striking two students. He left room 207, with almost a dozen fatalities, and many others wounded.

“There was blood everywhere,” Erin Sheehan said. “People in the class were passed out, I don’t know, maybe from shock, from the pain. I was one of only four that made it out of that classroom. The rest were dead or injured.”

Gene Cole, a 52 year old janitor at VT, heard the shots and was told there was a gunman upstairs. He made his way there to look for a coworker, and as he stepped in the hall, so did the shooter. 5 shots rang out, and Cole immediately dove into a stairwell and ran down the steps and out the back of the building. He said that he heard the bullets wiz by his head.

In room 206, Professor G.V. Loganathan, teaching advanced hydrology, is shot to death, along with two students: Julia Pryde and Jarrett Lane.

In Room 204, Professor Liviu Librescu, a holocaust survivor, is interrupted during his lecture, by banging and screaming from the room next door. The shooter burst through the door, and as he did, Liviu put himself between the gunman and the students and tried to barricade the door. He was shot to death as his students tried to hide, some jumped from the windows. He opened fire on the students for a minute and a half.

In room 211, Professor Jocelyn Couture-Nowak was teaching Intermediate French when they heard the shots. She looked outside quickly and ordered the students to the back of the room. They attempt to barricade the door, but He bursts through and opens fire. He walked down an aisle and randomly shot students before leaving the room. He only left briefly though, and Colin Goddard was hiding behind a desk. He had been hit 3 times, one broke his left femur. As he was hiding, he heard the shooter come back in and heard one or two more shots, then SILENCE.

Almost immediately, police enter the room and radio that the shooter is down. He killed himself in Room 211 amongst the bodies of several victims. Goddard grabbed his cell phone and immediately texted his mom, “I’m Ok. Got Shot. Come.”

When the police arrived at Norris Hall after the initial call, they discovered that the doors had been chained shut. It took them around 5 minutes to gain entry into the building. After breaching, they followed the trail of destruction and gunshots until they found the shooter’s body. They discovered that he had two handguns on him, the 9MM and .22-caliber he had purchased only months before. He was wearing a backpack that had dozens of rounds of ammo along with several knives, and prescription medication related to the treatment of his psychological problems. There was also a note that was said to contain countless obscenities and angry condemnation of “rich kids.”

Around 9:50 AM, an email goes out to every VT email address saying “A gunman is loose on campus. Stay in buildings until further notice. Stay away from all windows.”

An Asian American student who worked as a photographer for the student paper was outside of Burruss Hall taking pictures. He was arrested because he matched the description of the shooter “an Asian American in a blue jacket.” He was photographed lying face down in handcuffs. He would be released a few hours later after it was determined that he wasn’t involved. Paramedics are on scene triaging and working on getting people to hospitals. One road block though is that all medical helicopters have been grounded. There was a Nor’easter over the weekend, and there were still extremely high winds, making air transport impossible.

When all the shooting stopped, there were 32 casualties, plus the shooter. There were an additional 23 that survived, 17 of which were caused by gunfire.

Back in South Korea, although the shooter and his family had left years ago, the country and its citizens still felt a great sense of public shame. A candlelight vigil was held outside the US Embassy in Seoul. The government convened an emergency meeting to consider possible ramifications.

On April 20th, the gunman’s family released a statement written by his older sister. The statement was one of grief, sorrow, and an apology:

“He has made the world weep. We are living a nightmare. Our family is so very sorry for my brother’s unspeakable actions. It is a terrible tragedy for all of us. We pray for their families and loved ones who are experiencing so much excruciating grief. And we pray for those who were injured and for those whose lives are changed forever because of what they witnessed and experienced. Each of these people had so much love, talent and gifts to offer, and their lives were cut short by a horrible and senseless act.”

After the shooting, the University’s handling of the situation came under fire. They were criticized for not putting the entire school into lockdown after the initial double homicide. They were also called out about letting the shooter fall through the cracks when they knew about his numerous incidents of inappropriate behavior with female students and mental health situation. The campus workers who would be the ones to help him with his mental health were never informed about his stay in the mental facility and never followed up with him. Parents were furious that no one was being held accountable for the massacre, asking during a call with the governor’s office, “Can you explain how 32 people were killed and no one has been fired, no one has been held accountable at that university?”

The Victims

Jamie Bishop (35) was a German instructor teaching in a classroom in Norris Hall before he was killed. He moved from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to Virginia Tech when his wife got a job there. Known as Jamie, he grew up in the small town of Pine Mountain, Ga. He attended the University of Georgia and also spent time in Germany as a Fulbright scholar. In addition to languages and teaching, Bishop loved art and technology. His friend, Jacques Morin, said Bishop was passionate about everything.
Jocelyne Couture-Nowak (49) was a French instructor at Virginia Tech. Her daughter, Francine Dulong, told The Daily News of Halifax, “My mother was a very big opponent of guns; she really abhorred violence, especially with guns. I definitely could see her fighting to the end.”
Kevin Granata (45) was a professor of engineering science and mechanics. He had served in the military and later conducted orthopedic research in hospitals before coming to Virginia Tech. He and his students researched muscle and reflex response and robotics. Ishwar Puri, head of the school’s engineering science and mechanics department, says Granata was one of the top five biomechanics researchers in the country, and was working on movement dynamics in cerebral palsy.
Liviu Librescu (76) was an engineering science and mathematics lecturer. He was among the victims at Norris Hall. Students say Librescu tried to keep the gunman from entering the room so that others could jump out of the windows to save themselves. Born and educated in Romania, Librescu was internationally known for his research in aeronautical engineering. He was a Holocaust survivor. Engineering department head Ishwar Puri said Librescu, who was born in a communist country, had a “great thirst for freedom.”
G.V. Loganathan (53) was a professor of civil and environmental engineering. He was born in southern India and had been a professor at Virginia Tech since 1982. He taught courses in hydraulics, hydrology and water resources engineering and was a core adviser for undergraduates in the department. His students described him as one of their favorites, and he received several awards for excellence in teaching. On a Virginia Tech Web site, one colleague described Loganathan as “truly one of the most outstanding classroom educators within the College of Engineering.”
Ross Alameddine (20) was a sophomore English major from Saugus, Mass. A memorial page on Facebook describes him as “an intelligent, funny, easy going guy.”
Brian Bluhm (25) was working toward a master’s degree in water resources, according to the Virginia Tech Web site. He had received an undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech in civil engineering. On a memorial page at Facebook, Amy Miley of Virginia Tech wrote, “Brian was a very happy individual. You couldn’t help but smile when you were around him. Let’s all shed our tears and then smile in his memory.”
Ryan Clark (22) was a senior with a triple major in biology, English and psychology. The native of Columbia County, Ga., was known by the nickname “Stack.” Clark was one of the first two victims killed at the Virginia Tech campus. He was a student resident adviser at the West Ambler Johnston dormitory, where he was gunned down. Clark was just a month away from graduation. He was active in the school’s “Marching Virginians” band. He had hoped to pursue a doctorate in psychology.
Austin Cloyd (18) was an international studies major from Blacksburg. The family moved to Virginia in 2005 from Champaign, Ill., where they were active members of Rev. Terry Harter’s church. Harter told the Associated Press that Cloyd was a “very delightful, intelligent, warm young lady.” She played basketball and volleyball in high school and went on mission trips to Appalachia, he said.
Daniel Perez Cueva (21) was majoring in international relations. Friend Hugo Quintero described him as “very responsible with schoolwork, very mature” but with a humorous side. The friends, who met in the lunch line in high school in Woodbridge, Va., liked to joke around. Quintero said Perez Cueva had been excited about applying for internships with the French and Italian embassies in Washington.
Matthew Gwaltney (24) was a graduate student in civil and environmental engineering and was close to finishing his degree. His high school principal, Robert Stansberry, told the Associated Press that Gwaltney had been named “Best guy to take home to your parents” in high school, where he was also sports editor for the school newspaper.
Caitlin Hammaren (19) was a sophomore majoring in international studies and French. She graduated in 2005 from Minisink Valley High School in Slate Hill, N.Y., and was a talented musician. Hammaren played the violin and sang. She also was a strong student and wanted to go into international politics. “She actually has been described as someone who was like a magnet for other kids and a role model. Always very positive.” Students at the high school have talked about Hammaren in their classes, and school officials are trying to do what her father told Murray he wanted them to do: “Celebrate her.”
Jeremy Herbstritt (27) Herbstritt, 27, was a graduate student in civil engineering. Family members said in a statement that he was a good storyteller and a fun-loving person with a great sense of humor. He liked to kayak, run and hike and loved the outdoors. They also described him as “a bright young man, a hard worker and a wonderful son and brother.”
Rachael Hill (18) a freshman, graduated from Grove Avenue Christian School in Henrico County, Va. Her high school superintendent and pastor, Clay Fogler, said in a statement that “the world has lost one of its brightest prospects.” He said she was beautiful, intelligent and a leader, and she had a close relationship with her parents. “One of her beloved scriptures is Song of Solomon, 8:5 — ‘Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?'” he said. “Rachael saw herself as the one coming out of the wilderness and needing to lean on her Savior more and more.” On a memorial page set up on Facebook, Hilary Albert of East Carolina wrote, “God wanted another beautiful and perfect angel up there in Heaven with him.”
Emily Hilscher (19) was a freshman majoring in animal and poultry sciences. A native of Woodville, Va., Hilscher was a 2006 graduate of Rappahannock County High School. She was known around her hometown as an animal lover, and had worked at a veterinarian’s office there. On a memorial page on Facebook, Lauren Kintner of Virginia Tech recalled, “Emily was amazing. She was so filled with life and always had something wonderful to say or was always making me smile.”
Jarrett Lane (22) was a senior studying civil engineering. He had been valedictorian of his high school class in Narrows, Va. According to Lane’s friend, Justin Waldron, the school put up a memorial to Lane that included pictures, musical instruments and his athletic jerseys. Lane played the trombone, ran track, and played football and basketball. Waldron said in a Facebook entry that Lane was “loved by all and hated by none.”
Matthew La Porte (20) was a sophomore from Dumont, N.J., majoring in university studies. He was a 2005 graduate of Carson Long Military Institute, a private boys’ school in New Bloomfield, Pa., that offers military training, according to its alumni association’s website. During a graduation speech, he said that the school had changed his life, according to the Associated Press.
Henry J. Lee (20) was a freshman majoring in computer engineering. He attended William Fleming High School in Roanoke, Va. His principal, Susan Willis, said Lee came to the United States from China in elementary school and didn’t speak English. He changed his name from “Henh” to “Henry” when he became a U.S. citizen last year. Lee, who was the salutatorian of his class, was reluctant to speak at his graduation in June because he was nervous about talking in front of thousands of people. But he eventually agreed, and Willis said it was “a proud moment for him.” Teachers at William Fleming High who saw Lee over Christmas break said he was smiling and upbeat about his future at Virginia Tech.
Partahi Lumbantoruan (34) was a civil engineering doctoral student from Indonesia. His family told the Associated Press he wanted to become a teacher in the United States and they sold property and cars to pay his tuition. “We tried everything to completely finance his studies in the United States,” said his father, Tohom Lumbantoruan. “We only wanted him to succeed in his studies, but … he met a tragic fate.”
Lauren McCain (20) was an international studies major. On her MySpace page, she said Jesus Christ was the love of her life. Leonard Riley, a former pastor at her church, told The Virginian-Pilot he has known the family for about 10 years. “You meet a lot of young people in your life, but not a lot will make the impression that Lauren did,” he said. “To know her was to love her. She was always ready and willing to do for someone else.”
Daniel O’Neil (22) was an engineering graduate student from Lincoln, R.I. His friend Steve Craveiro told the Associated Press that O’Neil was a hard worker and someone who never got into trouble. “He loved his family. He was pretty much destined to be extremely successful. He just didn’t deserve to have happen what happened,” Craveiro said. O’Neil also played guitar and wrote songs that he recorded and posted on his Web site.
Juan Ramon Ortiz (26), a graduate student studying civil engineering, was from Puerto Rico. “He was an extraordinary son, what any father would have wanted,” Ortiz’s father, also named Juan Ramon Ortiz, told the Associated Press. Neighbors of the family in Bayamon, a San Juan suburb, told the Associated Press that Ortiz was a quiet and dedicated son who played in a salsa band with his father.
Minal Panchal (26) was a graduate student from India who wanted to become an architect. A friend told the Associated Press that Panchal was thrilled when she was admitted to Virginia Tech last year. “She was a brilliant student and very hardworking. She was focused on getting her degree and doing well,” Parekh said.
Erin Peterson (18) was a freshman majoring in international studies. She had been a basketball standout at Westfield High School in Chantilly, Va., and was inducted into the National Honor Society as a high school senior in 2005. Peterson’s high school basketball coach, Pat Deegan, said she was a good student and excellent athlete, who “made it her business to make everyone around her a better person.” He said members of the basketball team shared anecdotes about how Peterson reached out when they were new to the school or nervous about playing their first varsity game. Peterson played on the varsity team for three years and was captain her senior year. She attended the same high school as the gunman.
Michael Pohle Jr. (23) was a biology major close to graduating from Virginia Tech. Pohle had played football and lacrosse while attending Hunterdon Central Regional High School. “He was a great, all-around kid, and it’s just tragic that his life was cut so short in such a senseless act of violence,” his high school vice principal, Craig Blanton, told The Star-Ledger of Newark.
Julia Pryde (23) was a graduate student from Middletown, N.J. She had been in G.V. Loganathan’s advanced hydrology class when she was killed, her adviser, Mary Leigh Wolfe, told the Asbury Park Press. Wolfe, a professor of biological systems at Virginia Tech, said Pryde graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biological systems engineering last spring. “She always tried to make a difference herself, rather than try to ask someone else to do something.”
Mary Read (19) was a freshman from Annandale, Va. She hadn’t yet picked a major at Virginia Tech. “I think she wanted to try to spread her wings,” her aunt, Karen Kuppinger, told the Associated Press. Read, who was part of an Air Force family, was born in South Korea and had also lived in Texas and California.
Reema Samaha (18) was a freshman from a close-knit Centreville, Va., family of Lebanese descent. She loved acting, dance and drama and was studying French, said Luann McNabb, a family friend. Samaha was close to her older brother and sister, and her family traveled to Beirut to visit her mother’s family almost every summer. Reema attended the same high school as Erin Peterson and the gunman.
Waleed Shaalan (32) was a doctoral student in civil engineering. He began attending Virginia Tech in the fall of 2006. He had been married for three years and had a 1-year-old son. His roommate, Fahad Pasha, said on the association’s website that Shaalan was planning to bring his family to Virginia soon. “He was the simplest and nicest guy I ever knew. We would be studying for our exams and he would go buy a cake and make tea for us,” Pasha said.
Leslie Sherman (20) was a sophomore majoring in history and international relations. She graduated in 2005 from West Springfield High School in Springfield, Va. Her friend Buddy Miller, also a sophomore at Virginia Tech, said Sherman wanted to join the Peace Corps after college. Sherman loved the Russian language and Russian history, Miller said. He described her as someone who was always happy and optimistic.
Maxine Turner (22) was majoring in chemical engineering. She was also a mentor to fellow chemical engineering student Beth Fairchild. They were both members of an engineering sorority, Alpha Omega Epsilon, and shared a love of Tae Kwon Do. Fairchild writes this about her sorority “big sister:” “Max was, if anything, a great friend. She’d always be there for you, through the good times and bad, and was only a call away. She was very peace-loving and friendly, which only accentuates the horrible tragedy that befell her.”
Nicole White (20) was a junior majoring in international studies. Chance Hellmann, who graduated with White from Smithfield High School in Virginia and attends Virginia Tech, told the Daily Press of Hampton Roads that White worked cleaning stables and caring for horses at a barn in high school. She was known for loving animals and worked summers as a lifeguard.

While these are the people who lost their lives that day, there were countless other victims. Some were also shot that day and made a recovery. Many who were there that day still carry psychological wounds and they work daily to overcome the obstacles from that and recover. Many survivors have expressed survivor’s guilt and question why they are still here when so many lost their lives that day.

After the massacre, then President George Bush said:

“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.”