- Virginia Tech Review Panel Web site

 

- Virginia Tech press briefings

 

From NPR News - 4.16.08

On this first anniversary of the Virginia Tech tragedy, NPR's Libby Lewis takes a look back at that day with President Charles Steger. Listen.

From WVTF News - 4.16.08

At Virginia Tech, the drillfield was a sea of Hokie orange and maroon on the morning of April 16, 2008.....as the University held its official commemoration on the anniversary of the campus shootings, one year ago. WVTF's Connie Stevens has this report. Listen.

4.16.08

The shootings last April at Virginia Tech focused a great deal of attention on the laws that govern the sales of firearms. Seung Hui Cho should have been disqualified from buying a gun under the federal Brady Law because a psychologist had found him to be a danger to himself. But the dealer who sold Cho a gun didn't know that. Virginia never reported the information to the national background check database. States are not required to do so. Professor Gregg Carter at Bryant University in Rhode Island is a leading expert on the Brady Law and was critical of it after the Virginia tech tragedy. WVTF's Fred Echols talked with Carter about changes Congress has made to the law in response to events at Virginia Tech. Listen.

4.16.08

Lisa Shepard covered the April 16th shootings for the New York Times. Since last October she's worked as Ombudsman for National Public Radio News, where she deals with questions about how the network manages and presents its news programming. WVTF's Fred Echols spoke with Shepard and asked her about the difficulties of covering tragic events. Listen.

4.16.08

Governor Kaine speaks at the April 16, 2008 commemoration ceremony at Virginia Tech remembering the victims of April 16, 2007. Listen.

4.16.08

Today marks the one year anniversary of the shootings which claimed 33 lives on the Virginia Tech campus. As the tragedy unfolded, a newly-hired instructor volunteered to provide pastoral care to grieving family members. WVTF's Susan Geary shares his story. Listen.

4.15.08

Nearly one year after the deadly shootings at Virginia Tech, the head of the panel that investigated the tragedy and its aftermath is reflecting on the events of that day.  Former State Police Superintendent Colonel Gerald Massengill and the Virginia Tech Review Panel made more than 70 recommendations in response to systemic problems exposed by the shootings.  The Colonel discussed the panel's findings with WVF's Anne Marie Morgan. Listen.

4.14.08

Perspective Gallery in the Squires Student Center at Virginia Tech is hosting an exhibit of photos from April 16th and the days that followed. WVTF's Beverly Amsler talked with Gallery Director Mary Tartaro and has this report. Listen.

- You can also view photos of this story.

4.14.08

Tens of thousands of items, ranging from origami cranes and letters to a car hood, came from around the world to Virginia Tech following the April 16th shootings.  More have arrived in recent weeks in time for the first year anniversary.  WVTF's Beverly Amsler talked with Tech archivist Tamara Kennelly and has this report. Listen.

- You can also view pictures of this story.

8.31.07

The report unveiled by the Virginia Tech Review Panel details the previously confidential mental health history of the shooter, Seung-Hui Cho. It stresses that better communication among university staff while he was at Virginia Tech may have helped avert the tragedy if he had undergone treatment for his illnesses. But it also says if records from Cho's pre-college days had been shared with the university, the staff could have taken pre-emptive action before his problems got worse. Anne Marie Morgan has more from the Capitol. Kaine said some recommendations could be implemented administratively through his office or by the colleges themselves. But he said others would require budget items or new legislation. Listen.

8.30.07

The review panel appointed by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine to investigate the shootings at Virginia Tech on April 16, has released its findings. Read the report.

Anne Marie Morgan from WVTF's Richmond bureau has a summary of the report's findings. Listen.

8.30.07

This Saturday (Sept. 1), Virginia Tech hosts East Carolina as the Hokies begin their football season after what has been a painful period following the campus shootings of April 16. WVTF's Rick Mattioni discusses the home opener at Lane Stadium with Bill Roth, the voice of the Virginia Tech Hokies. Listen.

8.20.07

Virginia Tech students begin classes today, a little more than 4 months after a gunman killed 32 people on campus. Thousands of people attended the unveiling of a new memorial dedicated to the victims. WVTF's Tom Porter reports. Listen.

6.25.07

Over the weekend, Governor Kaine met with relatives of 32 victims killed in the April 16 shooting rampage on the Virginia Tech campus. The family members had sought representation on the eight-member independent review panel appointed by the Governor to investigate the tragedy and recommend policy changes. Anne Marie Morgan has more from the Capitol. Listen.

6.14.07

A Bush Administration report on Virginia Tech called for greater
communication between Schools, doctors and police. Benjamin Shaw reports from the White House. Listen.

- Read the Bush Administration report

6.14.07

More than 80 volunteers have spend the past several weeks at Virginia Tech, pouring over the thousands of gifts sent in from around the world after the April 16 tragedy. WVTF's Beverly Amsler talked with the man who's leading the effort to organize the emails, cards, quilts, and other items. Listen.

You can also view pictures of some of the items being archived.

6.12.07

Governor Tim Kaine’s Virginia Tech review panel held its third public hearing Monday at George Mason University in Fairfax. Victim’s family members were there in force to demand representation on the panel. Benjamin Shaw reports from our Capitol Hill Bureau. Listen.

5.11.07

It's been nearly four weeks since the shootings at Virginia tech. And, even with commencement ceremonies and celebrations, many in the university community are still feeling the effects of 4/16. That's when 32 lives were taken by a gunman who then committed suicide following a shooting rampage inside two Tech buildings. Virginia Tech student Michelle Billman shares her thoughts on what happened then and how she feels now . . .The bells in the background at the end of the essay were recorded during a commemoration in Blacksburg for the shooting victims. Listen.

5.10.07

Nearly 5,000 students will graduate from Virginia Tech this weekend. The normally upbeat university ceremony will be tempered by remembrances of the 27 students and 5 faculty members killed and 25 others wounded in last month's shooting spree in West Ambler Johnston and Norris Halls. WVTF's Beverly Amsler talked with Tech spokesman Mark Owczarski and asked how the university plans to balance celebration with commemoration. Listen.

5.9.07

It’s well known by now that under the Brady Law ­passed by Congress more than a decade ago, Seung-Hui Cho was not eligible to buy the guns he used to kill 32 people at Virginia Tech before committing suicide. What’s been less clear is how the law failed. WVTF’s Fred Echols has at least some of the answers in this report. Listen.

4.30.07

Psychiatrist Daniel Porter is among the private mental health professionals helping with counseling services at Virginia Tech. In a conversation with WVTF's Fred Echols, Porter talks about the needs of the Virginia Tech community in the wake of the recent tragedy, the extreme difficulty of predicting the actions of someone like Seung-Hui Cho and how he believes the media can sometimes make things worse. Listen.

4.27.07

In the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy schools are reevaluating their mass communications systems. Many institutions use e-mail as the preferred method of disseminating information quickly....but there are many more options available. WVTF's Joe Zupan reports. Listen.

4.26.07

Law enforcement officials have released more information from their investigation of the shootings at Virginia Tech. But as WVTF's Joe Zupan reports, many questions remain. Listen.

4.25.07

Some students are returning to classes after last week's shooting at Virginia Tech. But it's not that easy for the Korean-American community to put the incident behind them. WVTF's Krisha Chachra explains. Listen.

4.24.07

Virginia officials apparently were not aware of a 10-year-old federal regulation that would have disqualified Seung-Hui Cho from buying the guns he used in the mass shootings at Virginia Tech if his mental health records had been forwarded by the state and placed in the national background check database. State Attorney General Bob McDonnell spoke to the issue on WVTF's Evening Edition. He said his office has been examining the regulations in the days since the tragedy. Listen.

When Seung-Hui Cho bought the guns used to kill 33 people at Virginia Tech, he may have been ineligible under federal law to purchase firearms. WVTF's Fred Echols spoke with Dennis Hennigan, legal director for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Hennigan says when Cho was declared by the court to be a danger to himself in 2005 that would have been enough to disqualify him if Virginia had reported the information to the federal database. Listen.

4.23.07

National Public Radio reporters interviewed 12 Virginia Tech professors and students. Listen.

4.23.07

Students returned to campus over the weekend where memorials dotted the landscape. WVTF's Krisha Chachra reports. Listen.

4.23.07

He was the face of Virginia Tech during the worst week in the university's history. Associate Vice President of University Relations Larry Hincker was the point-man for the school, updating the media and releasing information as the investigation into the shootings continued. Hincker sat down with WVTF's Joe Zupan to put into words the tragic events of April 16 and the days following. Listen.

4.22.07

WVTF's Jen Poyant, a Virginia Tech graduate, returns to find out how her friends and classmates are coping with the grief of last week's shootings. Listen.

4.20.07

Seth Williamson reads the names of the 32 Virginia Tech shooting victims. Listen.

4.19.07

Studio Virginia - A song written the night of the Virginia Tech tragedy by a New Yorker focuses on sorrow and hope for the future; the producer of "An Inconvenient Truth" in Charlottesville with her climate change tour; and Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves at the Jefferson Center. Listen.

Thousands gathered at the University of Virginia last night for a candlelight vigil to mourn Virginia Tech's loss. The vigil is just one way the UVA community is putting aside its infamous sports rivalry with Tech and opened its arms to the sister school. WVTF's Lydia Wilson reports. Listen.

Until Monday, the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history occurred 41 years ago at the University of Texas at Austin. Gary Lavergne works in the admissions department at UT. He is also the author of the book “A Sniper in the Tower,” which describes the shooting and its aftermath. WVTF’s Beverly Amsler spoke with Lavergne. Listen.

Most parts of Tech's campus were quiet today, with the cancellation of classes. Many of those milling about were reporters. WVTF's Dutchie Mirolli talked with students and others about media coverage of the events. Listen.

With the cancellation of classes for the rest of this week, Tech's campus may be quieter than usual, unless you count the reporters, milling about campus and around town to get more reactions and stories in the wake of Monday's shootings. WVTF's Dutchie Mirolli talked with some locals about media coverage of the events. Listen.

Convocation at Cassell Coliseum at 2 p.m. Listen.

NOTICE: Several airlines are working together to get Virginia Tech families to southwest Virginia. Family members of the victims who need transportation are asked to work with the Virginia Tech Dean of Students Office (1-800-533-1144). The Red Cross is establishing a welcome station for families coming to Roanoke Regional to assist incoming family members. In addition, Delta, U.S. Airways, Northwest, United, and Allegiant are waiving change fees for anyone who was to fly out of Roanoke or Lynchburg this week who now may have to re-book because of the shootings at Virginia Tech.

4.17.07

WVTF's Fred Echols with a news update. Listen.

WVTF's Beverly Amsler has a report about the school shooting at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Listen.

4.16.07

Virginia Tech President Charles Steger's statement regarding the tragedy at Virginia Tech. Listen.

President George W. Bush makes statement regarding shootings at Virginia Tech. Listen.

Virginia Tech student Taryn Petty talks about evacuating the school. Listen.

Virginia Tech computer technician P.D. Martin talks about getting in touch with people after the shooting. Listen.

Virginia Tech press briefings

4.25.07 - Press briefing at 1:30 p.m. with Col. Steve Flaherty of the Virginia State Police and Chief Wendell Flinchum of the Virginia Tech Police Department. Listen.

4.19.07 - Press briefing at 4:30 p.m. Listen.

4.19.07 - Press conference at 9:30 a.m. Listen.

4.18.07 - Press conference at 4:30 p.m. Listen.

4.18.07 - Press conference at 10 a.m. Listen.

4.17.07 - Press conference at 5 p.m. Listen.

4.17.07 - Press conference at 9:20 a.m. Listen.

4.16.07 - Press conference at 7:45 p.m. Listen.

4.16.07 - Press conference at 5:45 p.m. Listen.

 

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