Survivor’s mother says her family is healing after April 16th

In Squires Student Center on Virginia Tech’s campus, 32 drawings captured the smiles of the victims from April 16, 2007. 

“Now, it’s just a time to remember and honor the people,” said Amanda Trent.

Digital pictures were displayed to keep all the memories from that day and the ones that followed exactly two years ago.  Some smile on the positive outcomes from the tragedy, including togetherness. Others still look on the pictures with sadness in their eyes.

“I wish I’d had a chance to meet some of those people and know them,” said Kelsey Cooper, a freshman.

Some looked up above, where they saw each victim’s name that hung on 32 banners in the student center.

Kevin Sterne was one of the lucky ones who made it out alive after he was shot. His mother, Suzanne Grimes, still has some heartache.

“Sometimes I feel guilty cause other ones didn’t make it, but he’s here for a reason. He survived,” said Grimes.

With all the other members of the Hokie family, she’s seeing all the archives from April 16th.

“It’s enlightening to realize all the stuff that was sent around the world because of April 16th because it’s a whole new experience for us. All the different letters, anything personal, it’s healing to think the world was reaching out to the victims and the survivors and the families,” she said.

Two years later, she’s still unsure how her family would handle the second year mark.   

“Anxiety’s been high not knowing what today would bring and kinda like reliving everything we went through that day to try to find Kevin,” she said.

It’s reasons like that these Hokies don’t want to forget the 32 faces they see in pictures, drawings, and the names they see etched on the stones in front of Burruss Hall.

“They were people, and they had lives they were living. So it’s good to remember them,” Ali Haskins, a graduate student.