On Monday, April 16, 2007, thirty-two students at Virginia Tech were killed, followed by the death of the killer himself, by suicide. Many others were hurt and sent to local hospitals.

Cho Seung-Hui was considered a loner by classmates and peers and had 2 incidences in late 2005 in which 2 different female students complained of stalking by Seung-Hui. After the second stalking report, Seung-Hui voluntarily went to seek professional counseling after suggestion from the local police department. After professional evaluation in December 2005, Seung-Hui was held in detention.

In an interview on CNN, two of his room mates told that he didn't talk much. He had an imaginary girlfriend, and at one point they called the local police because he was talking about suicide.

The shooting began in West Ambler-Johnson, a freshman dorm which is the home to 900 students. Two students, a female, and her male Resident Assistant were shot and killed on the fourth floor. The second incident happened at the Norris Building in a French classroom and a German classroom. Students, scared for their lives, jumped out of the second story windows. Others hid behind turned over desks, and others who had not been shot played dead, praying that the shooter would pass them by.

On Tuesday, a convocation service was held at Cassel Coliseum and thousands overflowed into Lane Stadium to hear what the presenters had to share. Virginia Governor Tim Kaine told students "it is okay to be angry...despair is a natural emotion at a time like this."

Kaine went on to say that  Virginia is a commonwealth. "...commonwealth has a meaning; God given and man made resources that we have.." Kaine expressed that commonwealth means community. "Do not let hold of that sense of community."

President George Bush also spoke at the convocation.

"In this time of anguish I hope you know that people all over this country are thinking about you and asking God to give you comfort... Look for sources of strength in your community. People who've never met you are praying for you; there's power in those prayers. Real power."

One after one, each speaker shared words of encouragement to faces filled with tears. Nicky Giovanni, a profound poet and professor at Virginia Tech ended the service with an uplifting poem. "...We will prevail. We are Virginia Tech." She ended her poem and walked off the stage to an uproar of cheers from the audience, followed by a "Let's Go Hokies" chant started by students in the crowd.

While students are in shock that such an occurrence could happen to them, they are ready to begin the grieving and healing processes. Many websites such as Facebook and Myspace have become a place of coming together to remember and show support.

People all over the world have been effected by this horrendous event. If you'd like to share how this has effected you, please feel free to blog about it here: RockyMountVA Blog

April 13-15, wind and rain storms passed through Rocky Mount after attacking many towns across the U.S. with a mixture of cold weather and snow in mountainous areas. Click on the photos above to see some of the damages done to area businesses.