The tragedy that took place at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia on April 16, 2007 is one that will be remembered and memorialized along with the incidents at Columbine High School, an Amish girls school in Pennsylvania, and countless of other senseless shootings that have occurred in schools and universities across the country.
But in many ways, what happened at Virginia Tech is more poignant because it is the worst school shooting in history. This does not in any way downplay the lives that were lost in the previous tragic incidents, but it is a frightening telltale sign of just how many lives can be lost when a gunman is on the loose and no appropriate actions are taken to stop him after he had killed the first two victims. The two-hour delay between these first shootings and the rampage that followed was one that could have been prevented had it been for a more organized response.
At the end of it all, Seung-Hui Cho had killed 32 students and faculty and himself. Imagine that: 33 people is an entire room full of students in one of your classes. It is your whole group of friends from elementary school, middle school, high school and college. It is a crowd for a graduation party, a party that the students of Virginia Tech will never get a chance to have.

One of the images that Seung-Hui Cho sent to NBC between both shottings.

Like any of these tragedies, there is always the “What if?” and regrets that something could have been done to prevent this from happening. In this case, there were several signs that pointed to a disturbed individual, whose actions certainly were a sign that he could have been a threat to other people as well as himself. His loner status and attempts to isolate himself from his peers; his attempts to stalk and harass two young women on the campus; the creative writing pieces for class that were violent and caused alarm among his professors and administrators; his history of mental instability, as seen by his treatment as an out-patient at a mental health hospital two years prior to the massacre and the declaration by a Virginia judge that he was mentally ill; and his purchase of two semi-automatic pistols. These were all warning signs that this young man was deeply troubled. While no one could have predicted that it would lead to the deaths of 33 people, the signs were there, and it is the jobs of the college and the institution that treated him to have acted in a more proactive way.

American college students joined together to tribute those who died.

The nation was horrified to hear of yet another school shooting, and in shock to learn that it was so severe in casualties. Like September 11th and any other violent act that leaves so many innocent people dead, this incident was one that brought the American people together. Schools and colleges across the nation held vigils and memorial services. Virginia Tech flags were hung from windows, and the orange and maroon colors of the university were made into ribbons to be worn as a sign of remembrance and respect. Even college Facebook groups were formed as a tribute to those who perished.
Students and professors at Virginia Tech are now celebrated as heroes, both those who are alive to recount their stories, as well as those who were not so lucky. One student spoke of his role in barricading a classroom by pushing a table in front of the door with another student, and holding it while the gunman pushed and shot through the door in an attempt to get inside. Eventually he gave up, and the valiant efforts of the two young men undoubtedly saved the lives of their classmates. On a more somber note, one professor, who also closed off the door to allow his students inside to get out of the classroom, gave his life to save the lives of many. Ironically, as a Holocaust survivor, this man had lived through one of the most horrific times in history, only to be murdered by a crazed student. It is stories like these, of the lucky ones and the not-so-lucky ones, that have reverberated through the nation and have touched the hearts and minds of the American people.
As with any horrible and senseless act that rocks the foundation of our sense of security, there has to be some positive to come out of the Virginia Tech massacre. Gun control in the United States, a topic of endless debate, will now be looked at with a little more weight. The way that faculty and administrators can appropriately respond to students they believe to be a threat will likely change, giving them more of an opportunity to react in the hope of addressing the problem long before it becomes a serious threat. Also, the way the courts and hospitals respond to those who are labeled mentally ill (in the sense that they have the capacity to hurt themselves or others) needs to be changed so that when counseling is recommended, there must be a better mechanism to ensure that the patient is getting proper treatment.
What happened at Virginia Tech will always be remembered, and the nationwide response is a testimony to the incredible ability of the American people to come together in support. We are a nation of 300 million people stretching across six time zones, but when something so tragic happens, we bind together with a patriotism that is typical of the tradition embedded in the American people.
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