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<p>love, ~berurah</p>
<p>We just found out that one of my D’s former teammates was one of the murder victims. She was a lovely young woman who was an inspiration and role model. I just pray that she didn’t suffer in fear or in pain.</p>
<p>Our local hs sends 40-50 kids to Tech each year. I am honestly afraid to see the list of victims.</p>
<p>Singersmom~I am so sorry about your daughter’s friend! We will be keeping her and her family in our prayers as we wait to hear who else didn’t make it, and include those families as well. God bless everyone who has suffered a loss, or injury, in this horrible incident! </p>
<p>I have talked to many of our friends who have children at VT, and S1, S2 and D have all been in touch with friends and they are all ok. As far as we know so far, their friends are among the lucky ones. We feel very blessed. But they are all very shaken, as are our two in college. Have talked to them several times today and really feel badly that I couldn’t give them a hug in person. It’s so hard to let go–you always want to protect them!</p>
<p>Motherdear~we will also be keeping your D’s friend in our thoughts and prayers–I am so very sorry to be hearing about these young people being killed just as they are beginning to realize what they might do with their lives–truly a loss for everyone.</p>
<p>“This tragedy could have been minimized had the VA tech students had access to firearms. A bill was recently discarded that would have allowed qualified VA tech students and faculty to have firearms on campus. If even one of the students in the building had been armed 20 or maybe 30 lives could have been saved.”</p>
<p>Or maybe there would have been more shootings by psychopaths and otherwise disturbed people. I don’t find anything comforting or reassuring about the idea of armed students and faculty being on a campus.</p>
<p>My heart goes out to all of the members of our CC family whose lives have been personally touched by this tragedy because of having friends, relatives and acquaintances at Virginia Tech.</p>
<p>Singersmom and Motherdear - my heart goes out to you and your DD’s - I know you can’t wait to see her and to hug her and love her in person. They are experiencing alot of pain I am sure - thoughts and prayers to your DD’s friends families. This was all so senseless…</p>
<p>The news just announced that a young man from MA was one of the victims - after telling the story about the mom and her inability to find out anything at all today - how incredibly sad - really brought tears…</p>
<p>“Or maybe there would have been more shootings by psychopaths and otherwise disturbed people. I don’t find anything comforting or reassuring about the idea of armed students and faculty being on a campus.”</p>
<p>Me either Northstarmom. The chances of an armed person being in this situation and taking out the shooter while being a hero are minuscule, while the odds of someone being shot with the guns everyone would be carrying are great.</p>
<p>This whole thing is so senseless. I wish there was an easy answer to prevent this kind of thing. I’m going to hug my kid extra hard tonight.</p>
<p>sfincterSAYSwhat - just by what you have posted - you have a good start for an article - let it flow - it will write itself - from your heart and soul. Please come back and share your article when you can… take a breath and just let your heart write your story</p>
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<p>Well, they’re miniscule when the law prohibits it because they (the hero you speak of) would actually follow that law. On the other hand, in states which permit concealed carry (such as FL recently allowed), crime has dropped, and there hasn’t been the “bloodbath” predicted by the liberals and gun-haters. Honestly, I do believe that guns in the hands of other people would have stopped this before it went so far.</p>
<p>And yes it is senseless, and the shooter is a sad excuse for a human being, but we cannot turn this into what it isn’t. Thats all I ask.</p>
<p>The facebook page turned out to be just a remarkable coincidence, not the actual shooter, because the kid pictured is alive.</p>
<p>I realize that this may be a bit difficult to swallow - but we need to also remember that the shooter was someone’s son - as horrendous and sick as his actions were - I cannot fathom what his parents must be feeling - the shame and the guilt - and the pain of dealing with this as well.</p>
<p>Horrible, my heart breaks for the families and friends of the victims and the Tech community. Locally we are getting reports of several of the wounded kids recent grads of surrounding high schools- the mental trauma they suffered may wind up to be worse than the physical trauma. I’m terrified for tomorrow when the names of the deceased start being released. </p>
<p>This is going to affect all campuses, with kids wondering if it will happen at their campus. Eldest son went oos but called tonight and was obviously shaken - was able to confirm that most of his hs friends are okay but I have never heard him so upset, yet calm. It was really quite unsettling as a mom. I wish I could drive up and give him a hug. </p>
<p>I keep thinking it’s all a bad dream. Prayers for all affected.</p>
<p>"At televised news conferences this afternoon and this evening, Chief Flinchum and Mr. Steger tried to explain why authorities did not act to secure the rest of the campus immediately after the first shooting.</p>
<p>Chief Flinchum said that initially officials thought that the shooting was “domestic,” suggesting that it was between individuals who knew each other, and isolated to the dormitory. He said the campus was not shut down after the first shooting because authorities thought that the attacker may have left the campus, or even the state."</p>
<p>This disgusts me.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/16/us/16cnd-shooting.html?ex=1192334400&en=305721272cfa098d&ei=5087&excamp=GGGNvatechshooting[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/16/us/16cnd-shooting.html?ex=1192334400&en=305721272cfa098d&ei=5087&excamp=GGGNvatechshooting</a></p>
<p>So far, the one name given out to the press is that of Ryan Clark an RA who came to the aid of the resident in the first shooting. What an honorable young man, he was shot trying to protect her.</p>
<p>No word yet on the shooter or his motive?</p>
<p>“This disgusts me.”</p>
<p>While I feel that there is no one to blame but the shooter himself, immediately the campus police should have notified everyone to be on the lookout for this individual and take caution to protect themselves.</p>
<p>DADGUY - there is a report out there that he shot his g/f and then went looking for someone at the engineering building - a domestic situation :(</p>
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<p>I have read on a couple blogs that the shooter was actually a student at nearby Radford College, not VT. I can’t vouch fo the accuracy of this assertion, but the other details (age, chinese nat’l, etc.) appeared to be correct from this source, so maybe it is correct.</p>
<p>What gets me is that I heard that the shooter is a foreign exchange student. I’m waiting to hear if this individual had access to these guns legally. Would anyone know if internationals can get access to guns here legally? I would not think that they could because of homeland security reasons but I really have no clue about this…just asking.</p>