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Shooter identified; healing begins
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Related Topics: BLACKSBURG, Va.
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President Bush addresses a convocation ceremony in honor of Virginia Tech massacre victims, Tuesday, April 17, 2007, in Blacksburg, Va.
BLACKSBURG, Va. (Map, News) - The Virginia Tech community began the long healing process Tuesday as thousands gathered for a memorial service and police released more details about the deadliest school massacre in America’s 231-year history.
President Bush, First Lady Laura Bush and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine offered the prayers and other words of support during the service, which included a standing ovation for Virginia Tech President Charles Steger.
“As you draw closer to your families in the coming days, I ask you to reach out to those who ache for sons and daughters who are never coming home,” Bush said.
Authorities continued their investigation into the shootings even though they announced Tuesday morning that they believe a 23-year-old student from Northern Virginia, Cho Seung-Hui, acted alone in fatally shooting 30 students and faculty inside Norris Hall. Cho, who came to the United States from Korea in 1992, was an English major from Centreville who lived in a dormitory next to West Ambler Johnston Hall, the building where two students were shot to death two hours before the rampage in Norris Hall.
Police said ballistics tests show one of the guns found on Cho’s body in Norris Hall was used in the West Ambler Johnston slayings but have not definitely declared Cho the only gunman involved in the slayings.
“The evidence has not led us to where we can say with all certainty that the shooter was involved in both instances,” said Col. Steve Flaherty, superintendent of the Virginia State Police. “It is certainly reasonable for us to assume that Cho was involved in both shootings, but we do not have the evidence to take us there yet.”
Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum said his officers detained a “person of interest” in the West Ambler Johnston shootings Monday morning who was an “acquaintance” of one of the victims and has since been released. Flinchum said police were questioning the person when they received reports that the second shooting was happening in Norris Hall.
Law enforcement officers on Tuesday continued notifying next of kin before releasing a complete list of all the 32 dead students and faculty members. Family members and friends of some of the deceased have confirmed the names of some of the victims. Among the confirmed dead are four Northern Virginia residents. They are: Reema Samaha, a freshman from Centreville; Mary Karen Read, a freshman from Annandale; Leslie Sherman, a junior from Springfield; and Maxine Turner, a senior from Vienna.
Comments from Examiner Readers
11:20 AM MST on Wed., Apr. 18, 2007
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Examiner Reader said:
what is his name the young man
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