News / World
Virginia Governor Declares Day of Mourning for Va. Tech Victims
Virginia governor Timothy Kaine declared Friday a day of mourning for the victims of the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history.
It was on the Virginia Tech campus that Cho Seung-Hui killed 32 students and faculty members before turning the gun on himself and sending the nation into a state of disbelief.
Kaine has already put together an independent panel to investigate how officials handled the massacre that began shortly after 7:00 a.m. on Monday and didn’t end for another several hours.
Cho killed two students at the West Ambler Johnston dorm early in the morning before leaving campus to mail a package to NBC news containing a video, photos and a diatribe addressing his reasons for the massacre that lay ahead. Cho left the package at FedEx shortly after 9:00 a.m. and returned to the Virginia Tech campus where he killed 30 more students and faculty members at Norris Hall before killing himself.
Several media outlets opting to broadcast the contents of Cho’s package have taken heat for their decision. Seen by most as an opportunity to gain ratings rather than uncover answers there has been heavy backlash by victims’ families and the community at large. Many networks have agreed to scale back their use of the videos in their broadcast.
Gov. Kaine has called for a moment of silence at noon.
