News crews have been at Virginia Tech for almost a week now preparing for the year anniversary of the “Massacre at Virginia Tech…”
It doesn’t seem like it’s been a year since the first reports of gun fire hit the news around here. Across the country, people were tuning in to see what was going on. But for us, right here in Hokie Territory it was so much worse.
This was happening in our back yard. This was affecting people we knew, either first hand or though a degree of separation.
It was hard.
It was sad.
Here is a what I posted last year on a message board that I belong to…
Unless you’re in a bubble, you’ve probably heard about the “Massacre at Virginia Tech”….
(I know the UK has because some of the info I was getting yesterday was from a website over there!)
However, to give you a little perspective, VT is about 25 minutes down the road. Much of the footage and pictures you are seeing are provided by the television station that I used to work for.
I have been to Tech many many times… The Inn at Virginia Tech (where you see the press conferences and where parents were able to meet up with their children) is a building that I was on when there were no walls.. I watched that building go up with the job I had while starting my VA business… (there may be some pics of me in a hard hat on top of that building floating around somewhere…)
Dereck O’Dell (the sophomore who was shot in the arm that has conducted interview after interview) was a student here in Roanoke — the high school right across from my church….
Last night on dateline, they interviewed Dawn Jefferies… her hubby is a big wig there… and she’s a reporter for WSLS… she’s also a friend and former co-worker….
So as you watch the footage… the details… you can see the beauty of the area of the country that I call home… we’re away from the big city…. we’re in the mountains… and we’re now the home of the worst incident of gun violence in the history of the US….
fortunately, my friends are all okay… but this hit very close to home…
And while I’m glad that you get to see a glimpse of where I call home, I’m saddened that this is the way you’re learning of it….
Today, I pray for those who are still morning the loss of a loved one. I pray for the family of the killer. I pray for the leadership at Virginia Tech. And I pray for all that have been affected by this incident in any capacity.
Until next time…
