Virginia Tech students return to classes
Virginia Tech students made a sombre return to their US campus today, pausing for a moment of silence to remember the 32 classmates murdered a week ago.
Students and faculty gathered at about 7.10am local time near the dormitory where the first victims, Ryan Clark and Emily Hilscher, were killed. They also gathered on the main campus lawn in Blacksburg, the site of several impromptu memorials to the victims.
In front of the dorm, a small marching band from Alabama played America the Beautiful and carried a banner that read: "Alabama loves VT Hokies. Be strong, press on."
By the time the moment concluded, more than 100 people had gathered to remember the dead.
Classes were to resume today, one week after gunman Seung-Hui Cho shot and killed 32 people before turning a gun on himself.
At 9.45am (local time) - the time of the second shooting - the university planned a moment of silence, with a single bell tolling from the tower of the main administration building. A minute later, the bell will toll 32 times - once for each victim - as 32 white balloons are released from the field below.
University officials were not sure how many students planned to return today. Virginia Tech is allowing students to drop classes without penalty or to accept their current grades if they want to spend the rest of the year at their parents' homes grieving last week's campus massacre.
But whatever decisions they make academically, many students say they will do their mourning on campus - and that they cannot imagine staying away now.
"I want to go back to class just to be with the other students. If you just left without going back to classes, you would just go home and keep thinking about it," said Ryanne Floyd, who returned to campus after spending most of last week with her family and avoiding news coverage of the tragedy.
"At least here, being with other students, we can get some kind of closure."
Students began returning as more details about the rampage emerged. Dr William Massello, the assistant state medical examiner in Roanoke, said Cho died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head after firing enough shots to wound his 32 victims more than 100 times.
But there was nothing unusual about Cho's autopsy, he said, and nothing that indicated any psychological problems that might explain his reason for the killings.
Meanwhile, Virginia Tech's Student Government Association issued a statement asking the news media to respect the privacy of students and leave by the time classes resumed.
"Our students are ready to start moving forward, and the best way we can do that is to get the campus back to normal," said Liz Hart, director of public relations for the student association. Students do not want "anything external to remind us it will be a difficult road. We know that".
Virginia Tech officials say victims' families are their top priority. They have been given a private email address and direct phone number for President Charles Steger.
The campus is covered with memorials and tributes to the students, including flowers, writings and candles. There are constant reminders of counselling options, and state police will provide security today.
