This is yet another message from the unforgiving soccer gods. Although I to have much sympathy for those tragic people
A lot of my friends down there are engineering students, so I was pretty worried today during my classes trying to get in touch with them. From what I can tell though, they're all ok. I'm sorry for all the families and friends who lost loved ones today because of some pathetic person.
Glad to see you are fine. Actually, though we have never met, I thought of you when I first heard of this. West AJ was my old dorm, and the unspeakable demon that caused this, well, makes me devoutly wish just recompense in the next world as he seems to have dodged his punishment in this one. Coward!
As a point of perspective I believe I heard from the radio that 5 US soldiers were killed in Iraq today. Excluding of course the rampant sectarian violence, but still. Lest you think for a second that this is not something huge, think again.
A close cousin of mine is a freshman in that dorm. She's ok, but pretty shaken up (she was telling me that the first day of classes was also cancelled this year due to a shooting).
I've been thinking of this all day. Every soldier who dies for his country deserves our honor and respect and appreciation, and should be just as mourned and just as newsworthy.
Hey all, just thought I'd vent cause there's a forum here... My name is Chris I sit in 133 some of you know me, some of you don't... why in gods name does shit like this happen? My friend with whom I went to highschool with was shot in the engineering classroom, I went most of the day thinking she was deceased, thank god I and the rest of my old classmates finally got the news that she was one of the very few that was struck and survived. She lost a kidney after being shot in the back while trying to run. You can she a picture of her on the BBC's website being carried out by two police officers after the shooting. What in the name of god would drive somone to do it??? I REALLY CAN'T FATHOM IT. Also am I the only one that finds the President of VTech to be totally incompetent and out of touch? The man goes up to give a press conference, claims they did everything that they could, smiles, shows no remorse, and to my recolection gave no apology, or sympathy to the lost and love one's loss. For gods sakes the man didn't want to cancel classes for fear that commuters would have to turn around once arriving at the university!!! Atrocious. I really don't know what to say. I am just completly infuriated and hope to god that my friend ends up ok. Sorry to vent on you guys but I saw the thread and just needed to get somthing out.
This has been a hard time for everybody. I already know at least two friends have died. President Stegar was noticeably shaken during the press conferences. If you've ever watched him or heard him speak, it was obvious he was not himself when speaking to the media and the world. He was at a loss of words. Everybody grieves differently. I'm not going to say I completely agree with how things transpired, but I do understand. All of the preparation in the world would have made the events hard to prevent. Maybe fewer lives could have been lost, but they weren't. The shooter had planned and was determined. He did not care about his life or the lives of others.
off course I'm very upset. Being a grad of 2000 and loyal to the university means that I will be upset. My bro DC Sharks was lucky enough to avoid the area where the mass shooting happened. That strikes tears in my eyes and actually the community is really small and off course you are bound to know someone hurt or that passed away. I feel a lot of pain right now, I love VT to the fullest and the entire community and anything VT related. I don't know this guy that shot up the place but I really hope that he was not a VT student, I just cannot fathom the possibility that one of my fellow students would do such a thing. I don't know if I felt worst on 9/11 or today. I think today for sure, at least I didn't know anything about the 9/11 stuff until 2 years later. Norris Hall is forever the place of my former European History class, thats all I can say.
Unfortunately, it appears that the shooter was in deed a VT Student. Full Article Very sad sad situation. My heart truely goes out to all of those directly affected. This from Tech's Website: VT Website
Makes no sense - he didn't live in that dorm and it would seem he targeted professors and students outside his major. I mean this just seems completely random with no targets. As bad as it sounds, at least with Columbine they targeted the jocks that picked on them so there was some basis in the killers mind. I mean - what was this guy thinking targeting seemingly random people?
I think that in the forthcoming days there will be a correlation for the 2 people in the dorm that were murdered and the classroom. Not saying that it's rational just that there was probably a reason (no matter how far fetched) for the locales that he chose.
At least as far as the dorm is concerned, the popular theory is that he had an ex-girlfriend who did live in that dorm. They were having some sort of fight, the RA told them basically to knock it off, and he shot both his ex and the RA. Just so horribly sad.
Actually, after everything I have read, it makes lots of sense. He went to AJ hall, looking for his girlfriend. Apparently, the girlfriend's dorm mate answered the door, and he shot here. The RA came by to see what was going on, and when she would not tell him where his girlfriend was, she was shot and killed as well. It seems the girlfriend had a class in the Norris? hall, the largely engineering building, that did house other classes as well. He went there looking for her. Mind you, ive read about 20 articles so far last night and this morning, and this is the general gist ive gotten from things I have read. So far, I know 2 people, who were friends with 3 of those killed. I had not known any of them directly, but it still is difficult just the same. I have spoken to my friend that knew the girl whose myspace I linked below, and that was not an easy phonecall to recieve from him. This is very smilar to stories Ive seen on the news, and what ive gotten filtered down from people I know who go to school there, and friends of others that go there. Below are a few links: Partial List of those who lost thier lives. A my space page, of one of the victims who one of my friends grew up and went to high school, and maintained a frienship with. This is the most heartbreaking thing I have read yet. the calls on the page asking if she is ok, just caused me to break down. Maxine Turner - Vienna Virginina Then this sick ******** here, with a fake claim for responsibility: SICK SICK SICK!!!!! The above links contain things that will be heart wrencing, and enangering, and some very strong strong language. I hope they catch the person that posted the blog on the last link, and throw them in jail. Just horrible. R.I.P Maxine, and all others that are now tragically gone. (not the shooter though, he can "use your imagination")
My heart goes out to everyone there and to the friends and families. This is very sad! My thoughts and prayers are with all of you. I cannot possibly imagine what it is like to endure such a tragedy.
There is no point in trying to understand the shooter or justify his actions. He was a crazed and determined animal that did not value life. There is no excuse or explanation that would have stopped his rampage beginning in West AJ and through Norris. Add me to the list of those who will miss Max. It's still a surreal atmosphere down here. I wanted to stay down here to help people, but is seems many affected have already left or have brought in company. Now there is an emptiness on campus as people tentatively wonder "what next?". There is nobody left to help, but the people back home still worried and wanting the affirmation of seeing their loved ones in person. I'm glad the world is watching, but wish the media would tire, go home and realize students are not on campus to exploit. *Sigh* Oh well, Oprah will be here in the morning....
I have consciously not watched television since the news was announced, and I think I would probably be nauseous at the kind of coverage that I hear is being provided. sitruc, I don't know what to say but that I feel a kind of cold lead weight in my stomach reading about the students and professors that died. I can't imagine what I would have thought if something like this had happened to me when I was a college student, probably a reaction similar to yours. Obviously, you know that there is a strong sense of community within the DC United family and that all of us will put aside any petty and trivial disagreements about formation, personnel, or merchandising options to hear you out and any other folks punched in the gut by these events. Thoughts and prayers and all that jazz. Keep your chin up. p.s. apropos of nothing, I have this strange quasi-guilty feeling that makes no sense at the moment. See, I narrowed all my college selection choices to Virginia Tech & Univ. of Texas back in 1989. One of the big factors in my decision to go to Texas was that I wanted to live in a more "exciting" town during my University years. Seems kind of petty now.