Tragedy at Virginia Tech

I was just getting my son his lunch when I found out about the shootings at Virginia Tech. Details are still coming in and the authorities don't have all the facts, but right now at least 31 people are dead, many presumably students, in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. I also heard someone say that the anniversary of Columbine is just 4 days away and that type of viloence has now spread from K-12 to the area I have dedicated my studies to, colleges and university. There have been shootings on campuses before, most notably the students shot by National Guard troops at Kent State in the early 1970s, but there has never been anything like this on campus or off.

I was very affected by Columbine when it happened, but this one has hit me harder. I'm not exactly sure why, although I'm sure my connection to higher education has something to do with it. I had always theorized that high school shootings were due to the pressures and lack of self determination felt by the shooters, thinking that such wouldn't be the case at a university. However, now that I think about it I shouldn't be surprised. I should obviously reserve judgement until we find out what happened and it may have been a more targeted attack. I just can't imagine what the students are going through and as I heard them talking to various eyewitnesses there was an erie calm in their voices that was clearly the result of shock.

There will be a lot of analysis done in the days following this event and I suppose we'll find out more after that has been completed. However, I think that like Columbine we'll never really have all the answers. I just can't imagine why someone would go this far and kill so many people. It's just hard to comprehend right now.