The events of Monday, 4/16
Last fall, I was called up and asked to speak at a physics conference in Florida, a conference to take place in April 2007 with my talk scheduled for the morning of Monday the 16th. That's why I was out of town this past Monday, and not in my office on the 2nd floor of Norris Hall at Virginia Tech, where the worst massacre in recent memory occured.
Jessica and I were together on Monday, taking some time to sightsee a little bit before travelling back to Blacksburg. We got a call around 10:30 am from one of Jessica's friends asking if we were okay. Okay? Why, what happened? We heard that some shots were fired around Norris Hall and one person was killed. We thought maybe it was some isolated shooting.
In the following hours, we heard from others that the death toll was much larger. I heard from my dad, a cop with the Baylor Univ campus police, that 20 people were dead at Virginia Tech. And he said it happened on the second floor of Norris Hall, the same floor as my office. He believed it must've been the grace of God that I wasn't there.
I tried to call colleagues, but couldn't get through. I didn't know what the scene was like or what had happened. I finally got email access and found out that my grad students were okay and let them know that I was too. I also immediately had requests from media for interviews. But I wasn't there, wasn't a witness, so didn't respond to them.
By mid-afternoon, we heard that the death toll was over 30 people, and I still had no idea who I might have known among the murdered. It wasn't until late that evening, after getting back home, that I learned that two faculty colleagues in my department had died, died trying to save students' lives.
A well-written article on what took place in Norris Hall on that fateful day is here.
It is awful. And so senseless. I hope there will never be a repeat of this tragedy anywhere ever again.
Jessica and I were together on Monday, taking some time to sightsee a little bit before travelling back to Blacksburg. We got a call around 10:30 am from one of Jessica's friends asking if we were okay. Okay? Why, what happened? We heard that some shots were fired around Norris Hall and one person was killed. We thought maybe it was some isolated shooting.
In the following hours, we heard from others that the death toll was much larger. I heard from my dad, a cop with the Baylor Univ campus police, that 20 people were dead at Virginia Tech. And he said it happened on the second floor of Norris Hall, the same floor as my office. He believed it must've been the grace of God that I wasn't there.
I tried to call colleagues, but couldn't get through. I didn't know what the scene was like or what had happened. I finally got email access and found out that my grad students were okay and let them know that I was too. I also immediately had requests from media for interviews. But I wasn't there, wasn't a witness, so didn't respond to them.
By mid-afternoon, we heard that the death toll was over 30 people, and I still had no idea who I might have known among the murdered. It wasn't until late that evening, after getting back home, that I learned that two faculty colleagues in my department had died, died trying to save students' lives.
A well-written article on what took place in Norris Hall on that fateful day is here.
It is awful. And so senseless. I hope there will never be a repeat of this tragedy anywhere ever again.
Labels: virginia tech massacre
posted by shane at 7:51 PM
2 Comments:
Shane, Thanks for the update. We have been praying for you guys that God will strengthen you to be ministers of His grace and mercy at this time. We will also be praying for you and all involved during church on Sunday.
Pete Carino
A little late, but glad to hear you were not in harms way.
Post a Comment
<< Home