- Title: USA: Students shocked as they mourn slain classmates at Virginia Tech
- Date: 18th April 2007
- Summary: (BN11) BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES (APRIL 17, 2007) (REUTERS) ROTC CADET MARCHING AND PLAYING BASS DRUM CADETS MARCHING
- Embargoed: 3rd May 2007 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
- Reuters ID: LVAC3R4GOAOZNUL283D2NXJHJ5PI
- Story Text: Thousands of members of the Virginia Tech community queued up for a memorial service to mourn those killed in the attack that killed 32 people in Blacksburg, Virginia. Police identified a South Korean student studying at the school as the gunman. Before attending Virginia Tech, the shooter, Cho Seung-Hui, lived in Centerville, Virginia, where neighbours reacted to the news. A sombre mood continued to blanket the campus of Virginia Tech on Tuesday (April 17), one day after the deadliest shooting incident in U.S. history.
Student cadets marched slowly as they paid tribute to the slain members of the Virginia Tech community. Students found out, as did the world Tuesday morning (April 17), that the gunman identified as the person likely responsible for both slayings was someone who lived among them, 23-year-old Cho Seung-Hui.
"This could be the most devastating thing I have ever been through. Yesterday was probably one of the most terrifying days of my life," said Sophomore Marisa Plescia. Thousands of students queued up Tuesday morning to attend a scheduled memorial service in the afternoon. President Bush was expected to attend.
Some students gathered at a makeshift memorial to lay flowers, leave notes and reflect on the killings. No official motive has been released by authorities. Classes have been cancelled for the remainder of the week. Norris Hall, the site of most of the killings, has been closed for the remainder of the semester.
A student from South Korea was identified on Tuesday (April 17) as the gunman who killed 32 people at Virginia Tech university in the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history.
Police said the shooter was Cho Seung-Hui, a 23-year-old senior who was a legal U.S. resident, and that ballistics tests showed one gun had been used in both attacks on Monday at the sprawling rural campus in southwestern Virginia.
Cho was raised in Centerville Virginia, a Washington D.C. suburb. Neighbours of the Cho family reacted to the news that the shooter lived in their community. An unnamed neighbour said of Cho "If you ask him anything, he's not responding, always quiet." Another neighbour, Isabel Machoro expressed sympathy for the family saying "it's unfortunate...they weren't responsible for anything."
Cho killed himself at Virginia Tech after opening fire in four classrooms where in some cases he apparently chained doors to prevent victims from escaping, officials said. Two people were shot to death two hours earlier at a dormitory. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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