What's in VT Shooting Documents
posted 11:26 pm Mon November 17, 2008
reporter:
Josh Farmer
posted by:
Webteam
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Blacksburg, VA -
It's a new way of looking at the April 16th shootings at Virginia Tech, a way to see the tragedy unfold, on campus. A group of Tech students has posted thousands of original documents, chronicling the tragedy and the days following.
We went through it all -- we're talking about 6,000 papers, all released by the university. And each one gives a little bit of insight into the panic of that day, and the pain that followed. This is how we remember the day -- sights and sounds that say more than words ever could.
Still it is words -- 6,000 bits of paper scribbled on, and discarded by some of the people closest to the events of April 16th that provide answers. In it, we relive the confusion, then frustration from administrators. Handwritten on an early page labeled simply "A.J. Incident" we find notes "At the crime scene. It appears to be a domestic-type situation."
We've seen the timelines, but never as clear a picture of the aftermath, and the pressure exerted on school officials. There's a handwritten schedule for President Charles Steger, live interviews scheduled with all five major networks, back to back, in a matter of 30 minutes from 6:00 to 6:30am.
Newsweek wanted a copy of a speeding ticket issued to Seung Hui Cho. MSNBC wanted an interview with Larry Hinker, Greta van Sustern wanted Charles Steger and Larry King wanted "anyone." There was the local church that wanted to send a banner, the Nigerian Embassy with two officials offering condolences, even a country music band, Rascal Flatts wanted permission to use video for a tribute -- it goes on.
Calls of support came in from schools around the country, some that knew tragedy first-hand, Kent State University, Columbine High School.
Ten days after the shooting, a mother called to request a partial tuition refund for her child. All the while, university officials were drafting a form letter explaining to families of the injured and dead how they would be compensated.
Click here to go to the website http://www.prevailarchive.org/archive/.
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