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Five-Year Anniversary of Virginia Tech Massacre

Today, April 16, marks the five year anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre. On April16, 2007, a mentally ill student shot 32 people at the school. This year the school is holding classes on the day of the shooting for the first time. Officials with the school said that by holding classes on the anniversary of the shooting is just another way to honor the students and the faculty who lost their lives that day.

Jessie McNamara, a freshman, was not at the school when the shooting happened, but she remembers it vividly as two girls from her high school were victims of the rampage.

“It was really hard, but we got through it,” she said.

McNamara said she feels safe at the school even though she passes the April 16 memorial on the campus often.

“I feel 100 percent safe,” she said. McNamara said that anniversary vigils help to reinforce the support system offered by the community for students and staff members. At midnight this morning, Virginia Tech also marked the date by lighting a memorial candle that will burn for 24 hours. For 32 minutes, members of the university’s Corps of Cadets stood guard at the candle. They will do so again tonight before it is extinguished. On Monday at the campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, governor Bob McDonnell will speak at a candlelight vigil.

Jim Vassallo: Jim is a freelance writer based out of the suburbs of Philadelphia in New Jersey. Jim earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and minor in Journalism from Rowan University in 2008. While in school he was the Assistant Sports Director at WGLS for two years and the Sports Director for one year. He also covered the football, baseball, softball and both basketball teams for the school newspaper 'The Whit.' Jim lives in New Jersey with his wife Nicole, son Tony and dog Phoebe.

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