A white candle lit at the stroke of midnight began a day of mourning Wednesday on Virginia Tech’s campus, exactly one year after the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history left 32 people and the gunman dead.
More than a thousand people gathered in darkness on the main campus lawn to begin the day’s remembrances. The solemn strains of taps and soft sobs were all that could be heard as the wounds of a community still trying to heal broke open once again.
A ceremony to remember of the lives of those who perished during Seung-Hui Cho’s rampage was planned for later in the morning in front of the memorial where 32 memorial stones honor the dead. The candle lit at midnight will burn there for 24 hours.
While this close-knit campus has worked hard to move on since last year’s violence, the anniversary of the killings has left many struggling to cope.
Many weren’t sure how to observe the anniversary of a tragedy that was as unifying as it was shattering. It drew a university already known for its school spirit even closer as the depth of the loss registered with students and faculty.
“Just in interacting with people, you can tell,” said Heidi Miller, 20, a sophomore from Harrisonburg who was shot three times and was one of six survivors in a French class. “It’s like a big question mark. Should we be in mourning all day, or should we try to do something normal?”
Some small, reflective gatherings were to take place during the day, with a candlelight vigil scheduled for the evening. One group of students planned to lie down in protest of Virginia’s gun laws in the afternoon.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine ordered state flags flown at half-staff, and a moment of silence at noon followed by the tolling of bells.
Some of the families of those killed said they couldn’t bear to attend the official events and planned to grieve privately.
Bryan Cloyd, whose daughter Austin was killed, hopes to plant an oak tree with his wife Renee to honor their daughter’s life. It is a way of looking toward the future, he said, rather than reflecting on the horrors of last April 16.
Remembering his daughter
As a Virginia Tech professor and Blacksburg resident, Cloyd has faced reminders of his daughter every day. He feels her presence often, in different spots on campus, and in the butterflies that he believes carry Austin’s spirit and seem to follow him everywhere since her death. He believes Austin would want the community to honor her life, but then move forward.
“I won’t be able to walk my daughter down the aisle at her wedding. I won’t be able to bounce her children on my knee,” he said softly. “And I don’t think it’s helpful to dwell on that, because where that leads is just more sadness. I think what’s helpful to do is to dwell on what can be. What can we do with what we have?”
Would love to start a conversation about what you all think.. why do you think someone would do this? Do you think there are certain factors/traits that makes a person act this way, and murder others needlessly? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks.
The Jet Set Zen 