Virginia Tech History Resources: We Remember : April 16th, 2007
We Remember : April 16th, 2007
On April 16, 2007, 32 professors and students were killed and dozens of others injured by an active shooter at Virginia Tech. The following resources provide more information about the event and its aftermath, including the university's Remembrance ceremonies and the government's review of the university's actions during the event. The University Archives also maintains the Virginia Tech April 16, 2007, Condolence Archives and related collections with items received by the university to memorialize and mourn those lost.
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We continue to remember the 32 victims: |
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Ross A. Alameddine |
Liviu Librescu |
Mental Health Resources
Addressing difficult topics can be stressful and cause anxiety, difficulty concentrating, sleep loss, and even concerns about safety. If you or a loved one needs help, there are many resources!
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National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text MHA to 741741
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24/7 Cook Counseling Hotline for VT students - 540-231-6557
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NRVCS Raft Crisis Hotline - 540-961-8400
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Just need to talk? Mental Health America of VA Warm Line - 1-866-400-MHAV (6428)
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Visit https://well-being.vt.edu/ for student resources and https://hokiewellness.vt.edu/ for employees.
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Additional Emergency Services information available from the Cook Counseling Center at https://ucc.vt.edu/.
Comprehensive resources
- We Remember at Virginia Tech websiteThe We Remember website provides information about the 32 students and faculty members who were tragically taken from their loved ones and our community on April 16, 2007. They ranged in age from 18 to 76 and represented a variety of academic areas and faith and ethnic groups. We hope that you are able to reflect on the tremendous promise each of them embodied for our world with creativity, intelligence, humility, and humanity.
This site also provides information about online resources, latest news and events, information about the April 16 Memorial, and links to previous years' events and support information. Live for 32. - Virginia Tech April 16th ArchiveThis website contains a comprehensive list of collections and historical documents regarding the tragic events of April 16, 2007, when 32 Hokies were sadly taken from us.
There is also a computer database on the 5th floor of Newman Library with official government documents that are not available online, and the Library of Virginia in Richmond maintains a copy of the database.
Collections
Collections at Virginia Tech
SCUA also has a collection of emails with Steger related to April 16th, which are unprocessed. Please contact SCUA for more information.
- Virginia Tech April 16, 2007 Archives of the University Libraries, 2007-2010 (Ms2008-020)The Virginia Tech April 16, 2007 Archives of the University Libraries consists mainly of condolence items received by the university following the events of April 16, 2007. The bulk of materials were received in the first few months following April 16, 2007. The collection is arranged using standard archival procedures. Due to the unique nature of this collection (i.e., the way it was received, the variety of formats, and the content), archivists developed specialized arrangement and description procedures. Since the collection and its contents are unique, the arrangement and description of individual series and subseries may differ.
The collection contains two series, Series I: Condolence Series and Series II: Individual Collections. Series I: Condolence Material includes twelve subseries, described in the "Arrangement" note below. Series II: Individual Collections has no subseries. - April 16, 2007 Community Photograph Collection, 2007-2008 (Ms2013-022)The collection consists of 41 framed photographs having to do with the aftermath of the April 16, 2007 shootings. Photographers were community members who submitted images to be considered for an exhibition at Squires' Perspective Gallery in April 2008. The collection also includes additional digital images not framed for the show and statements submitted by photographers .
- Marching Virginians' April 16, 2007 Condolence Collection, 2007 (Ms2013-084)The collection contains the condolence materials received by the Marching Virginians after April 16, 2007. Much of the material pertains to Ryan "Stack" Christopher Clark, baritone and student leader in the Marching Virginians. This collection incorporates a variety of materials and artifacts, including correspondence, posters, banners, an American flag flown on the USS Constitution, scrapbooks, and a band uniform.
Collections at the Library of Virginia (https://www.lva.virginia.gov/)
- Records of the Virginia Tech Review Panel, Accession 51144, at the Library of VirginiaThis collection at the Library of Virginia documents Virginia's official investigation into the 16 April 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech.
- Tragedy at Virginia Tech Web Archive, 2007-2012This web archive from the Library of Virginia captures Virginia Government Web sites related to the shooting at Virginia Tech on Monday, April 16, 2007. This collection includes audio excerpts from press conferences held on Tuesday, April 17, audio excerpts from the Convocation ceremony held on Tuesday, April 17, and a video stream of the entire Convocation. Also included is a list of the victims.
- Governor Timothy Kaine Administration Web Archive, 2006-2010This web archive from the Library of Virginia contains files relating to Gov. Tim Kaine's administration. One item relates to the Virginia Tech Review Panel website, which includes copies of their report reviewing the incident and actions taken on April 16, 2007. Other items include archived versions of official websites of the governor, first lady, attorney general, and other officials, which may include information pertaining to April 16th.
- Kaine Email Project @ LVAThis website portal includes over 8,000 emails from Gov. Tim Kaine's office. You can search the emails for items pertaining to the events of April 16, 2007 and its aftermath, including the Virginia Tech Review Panel.
Digital Collections and Online Exhibits
- Virginia Tech April 16, 2007, Condolence Archives
In the days and weeks following the events of April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech received thousands of cards and letters of support, posters, banners, art, poetry, wreaths, memory books, and other unique items from around the world. Campus visitors often left items at impromptu memorials, which were displayed on the Virginia Tech campus for several months before being gathered and inventoried under the direction of the University Archivist. In the summer of 2007 representative artifacts were digitally photographed to share with the world. This website includes digital representations over 7,000 of those items. - Communities of Caring: Community expressions of support in response to the events of April 16, 2007
This exhibit highlights the expressions of support Virginia tech received from communities around the world following the events of April 16, 2007. Created for the 10th anniversary in 2017, the exhibit focuses primarily on those communities outside Blacksburg, Virginia, that reached out to express their solidarity and support of Virginia Tech. - Unknown Origin: Anonymous gifts in the April 16, 2007 Condolence Archives
Created for the 13th annual remembrance commemoration in 2020, this exhibit - Unknown Origin: Anonymous gifts in the April 16, 2007 Condolence Archives - highlights the messages Virginia Tech received from unknown individuals, organizations, or places following the events of April 16, 2007. It features anonymous donations and gifts of unknown origin, paying homage to those who want to be part of the mourning and recovery process but do not necessarily want to be known. - We Are Better Than We Think: Selections from the April 16, 2007 Condolence Archives
Created for the 14th annual remembrance commemoration in 2021, this exhibit - We Are Better Than We Think: Selections from the April 16, 2007 Condolence Archives - highlights the items Virginia Tech received following the events of April 16th. It features artifacts, children’s letters, poems, and more with messages of love, hope, and encouragement, most of which have not been displayed for exhibition before.
Publications
- Virginia Tech Magazine, Memorial Issue, Vol. 29, No. 3, May 2007Digital copy of the Memorial Issue of Virginia Tech Magazine.
- Publications related to the April 16, 2007 shootingsBooks and video recordings concerning or related to April 16, 2007, held by the University Libraries
- Publications about school shootingsThese publications held by the University Libraries pertain to school shootings, usually as a result of academic research, and may include references to Virginia Tech.
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Virginia Tech's Land Acknowledgement & Labor Recognition
Virginia Tech acknowledges that we live and work on the Tutelo / Monacan People’s homeland, and we recognize their continued relationships with their lands and waterways. We further acknowledge that the Morrill Land-Grant College Act (1862) enabled the commonwealth of Virginia to finance and found Virginia Tech through the forced removal of Native Nations from their lands in western territories. We understand that honoring Native Peoples without explicit material commitments falls short of our institutional responsibilities. Through sustained, transparent, and meaningful engagement with the Tutelo / Monacan Peoples, and other Native Nations, we commit to changing the trajectory of Virginia Tech's history by increasing Indigenous student, staff, and faculty recruitment and retention, diversifying course offerings, and meeting the growing needs of all Virginia tribes and supporting their sovereignty.
Virginia Tech acknowledges that its Blacksburg campus sits partly on land that was previously the site of the Smithfield and Solitude Plantations, owned by members of the Preston family. Between the 1770s and the 1860s, the Prestons and other local White families that owned parcels of what became Virginia Tech also owned hundreds of enslaved people. We acknowledge that enslaved Black people generated wealth that financed the predecessor institution to Virginia Tech, the Preston and Olin Institute, and they also worked on construction of its building. Not until 1953, however, was the first Black student permitted to enroll. Through InclusiveVT, the institutional and individual commitment to Ut Prosim (that I may serve) in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence, we commit to advancing a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community.
Full and short version of the acknowledgement can be found on InclusiveVT's website.