Virginia Tech will honor the students and faculty members who lost their lives on April 16, 2007, with a Day of Remembrance and run.
Events will be held April 16 and 18 to remember the 32 Hokies who died in a mass shooting perpetrated by an undergraduate student, Seung-Hui Cho. The shootings took place at the West Ambler Johnston Hall dorm and Norris Hall and is one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.
After the tragedy, you may recall the Greater Augusta community came together for a “We Are All Hokies” vigil and fundraiser at Waynesboro High School coordinated by Chris and Crystal Graham of Augusta Free Press and Kurt and Cristin Sprenger, who led the Augusta chapter VT alumni group.
If you haven’t checked it out, Virginia Tech put together archives of items collected by the university following the shooting.
Schedule of remembrance events
Thursday, April 16
- 12:01 a.m. The lighting of the ceremonial candle will be held at the April 16 Memorial, located in front of Burruss Hall on Drillfield Drive. The candle will be lit by representatives of the student body, and the names of the 32 Hokies lost on April 16, 2007, will be read. Members of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets will stand in watch. The candle will remain lit for 24 hours.
- 9:43 a.m. Wreath-laying ceremony and moment of silence will be held at the April 16 Memorial. Student members of the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad will carry wreaths to the memorial, which will then be placed by Tim and Laura Sands.
- 11:27 p.m. Members of the Corps of Cadets will stand in watch at the April 16 Memorial for 32 minutes.
- 11:59 p.m. The ceremonial candle will be extinguished, and the light will be carried back into Burruss Hall, representing the university’s commitment to never forget.
Saturday, April 18
- 9:00 a.m. A 3.2-mile Run in Remembrance will be held on the Blacksburg campus. The annual event attracts thousands of walkers and runners. It will begin, rain or shine, at 9 a.m. with a moment of silence. The run’s 3.2-mile course will begin in front of War Memorial Hall on Drillfield Drive and pass by landmarks such the Grove, Lane Stadium, and the Virginia Tech Pylons, ending at the April 16 Memorial. Advance registration is requested. Virtual participation is also encouraged. Alumni chapters or individuals taking part in a run are asked to use the hashtag #VT32Run on social media.
- 1:30 p.m. A Remembrance Service to honor those who died will be held at the War Memorial Chapel. Seating will begin at 1:15 p.m.
Remembering the 32 victims
The 32 victims ranged in age from 18 to 76:
- Ross A. Alameddine
- Christopher James Bishop
- Brian R. Bluhm
- Ryan Christopher Clark
- Austin Michelle Cloyd
- Jocelyne Couture-Nowak
- Daniel Alejandro Perez Cueva
- Kevin P. Granata
- Matthew Gregory Gwaltney
- Caitlin Millar Hammaren
- Jeremy Michael Herbstritt
- Rachael Elizabeth Hill
- Emily Jane Hilscher
- Jarrett Lee Lane
- Matthew Joseph La Porte
- Henry J. Lee
- Liviu Librescu
- G.V. Loganathan
- Partahi Mamora Halomoan Lumbantoruan
- Lauren Ashley McCain
- Daniel Patrick O’Neil
- Juan Ramon Ortiz-Ortiz
- Minal Hiralal Panchal
- Erin Nicole Peterson
- Michael Steven Pohle, Jr.
- Julia Kathleen Pryde
- Mary Karen Read
- Reema Joseph Samaha
- Waleed Mohamed Shaalan
- Leslie Geraldine Sherman
- Maxine Shelly Turner
- Nicole Regina White
A look back: ‘We Are All Hokies’ community vigil in Waynesboro
A community vigil, held on April 20, 2007, at Waynesboro High School, raised $1,000 that was donated to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund, set up by the Virginia Tech Foundation to help cover the expenses of family members who lost loved ones in the shootings and other expenses related to medical care and counseling for those injured or otherwise affected by the tragedies.
A banner signed by attendees, a program and the donation were sent to Virginia Tech following the event.
The event included:
- Welcome by Crystal Graham (VT ’99) and Chris Graham (UVA ’94)
- Remarks by Thomas Reynolds, Waynesboro Mayor
- Remarks and Prayer, Rev. Kim Webster, St. John’s Episcopal Church
- Musical Tribute by the Freshtones, Waynesboro High School
- Remarks and reading of names of victims, Amy and Emily Almarode, Virginia Tech students
- Release of 32 balloons by Virginia Tech students in attendance
- Moment of silence
- Reading of Nikki Giovanni address
- Closing Prayer, Jacqueline Horton, Staunton Police Department Chaplain
- Closing Remarks
A community conversation followed the outdoor service led by the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Long Lasher in the school’s cafeteria.
Following the community conversation, a procession was led by Pastor Bob Humphrey of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Waynesboro from the high school to the Charles T. Yancey Municipal Building downtown.
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