Excerpts from the newly released “April 16th: Virginia Tech Remembers.” (Plume: $14)
Derek O’dell, a 20-year-old student in Christopher “Jamie” Bishop’s introductory German class
“I heard two shots go off, then saw the gunman’s arm swing around the room. He started firing. Once it stopped on the student sitting right next to the door. At point blank range, he fired a shot into this young man’s face. He ended up surviving, thankfully. He then proceeded to fire at the people in the front rows and near the door. I was shot sometime in this period. As soon as I saw him swing the gun around and fire the third shot, I began to frantically try and get underneath my desk. At first it almost seemed like the shooter might have been firing blanks or rubber bullets. Then I saw the bullet casing fly out of the gun and my professor fall.”
Theresa Walsh, a student in room 205
“When he raised his gun to shoot – I don’t know how, to this day I still question how – he missed. He shouldn’t have missed. I mean he was three and a half to four feet away. There’s no way he would have missed. It’s something that occurred that is unexplainable. …”
Recollections from Omar Maglalang and Roland Lazenby, text from the book
Especially telling were the faces of the officers. They would later tell counselors they had seen things they just couldn’t get out of their minds, no matter how hard they tried. Then there were the ringing cell phones in the body bags as they carried out the victims. Desperately ringing cell phones. Unanswered calls from family and friends.
Jonathan Webster, Montgomery Regional Hospital chaplain
“I’ve been a hospital chaplain for 17 years, four different hospitals, 12 at this one. By far, April 16, was the worst professional day of my life. So, how do I control my emotions? I’m not sure I did this time.”
Loressa Cole, chief nursing officer at Montgomery Regional Hospital
“This tragedy affected our hospital in many ways. Those of us who cared for the injured, will never forget the strength and courage we saw in each patient and family. The visits from Virginia Tech students and staff were respectful of the work we do, and never interfered with the rest and healing that each patient needed. This event has reminded us of why we do what we do, and given us the opportunity to rededicate ourselves to our health care professions.”
Megan Meadows, Virginia Tech student
“I was with my friends waiting at the Inn to hear any news about our close friend Reema Samaha. Thinking about being at the Inn literally makes me feel sick to my stomach. It was a virtual hell on earth. Every few minutes you could hear spontaneous cries and screams from families and friends of the victims finding out devastating news about their loved ones. Knowing that every one of those cries and screams was a representation of a lost life is something I’ll never forget.”
Ezra “Bud” Brown, University Distinguished Professor of Mathematics
“My wife expressed the thought of many thousands when she said, ‘This can’t be happening in Little Old Blacksburg, in our safe little town where the number of murders over the past 38 years suddenly doubled in as many minutes. No this can’t be happening.’ Can’t be, can’t be.”