'Hokies Remember,' Virginia Tech continues to honor the lives lost 18 years ago
BLACKSBURG, Va. (WFXR) – 18 years ago, our region suffered the worst mass shooting in Virginia at Virginia Tech's campus. So we pause to remember those 32 lives lost.
Just after midnight on April 16th, a candle was lit at the memorial on Virginia Tech's campus. That candle's flame will burn for 24 hours to show that those lives we lost 18 years ago will never be forgotten.
Virginia Tech's campus was somber as many gathered around the April 16th memorial to watch the Corps of Cadets standing in watch. The cadets will be there all day to ensure the flame stays lit.
(Photo Credit: Zoe Mowery)
But it's not just Blacksburg that continues to honor the memory of those we've lost, flags across the commonwealth are at half staff as well.
And this past weekend, Tech held its annual 3.2 mile Run in Remembrance, which brought around 15,000 people to Blacksburg.
Orange Theory Fitness remembering Virginia Tech shooting victims
'Hokies, remember, and remember those precious lives that were taken from us,' said Mark Owczarski, the spokesperson for the University, 'Regardless of where you are, here in Blacksburg, across the commonwealth, across the nation, nobody should ever have to experience that, sense of loss and Hokies will forever want to remember those lives, but also to remember that we must turn to each other in difficult times to help us through when life is at its most unthinkable.'
President Tim Sands and his wife, Dr. Laura Sands laid two wreaths at the memorial at exactly 9:43 a.m., the same time the first shots were fired 18 years ago. A moment of silence followed.
Then. President Sands and his wife walked the entirety of the memorial to look at all 32 names.
'Those 32 lives will never be forgotten, and so it has become that sense of tradition. It marks the fact that throughout the entire day Hokies will reflect and recall the impact that those lives could have had, and in the time they were with us, they did indeed have on our lives,' said Owczarski.
At 11:27 p.m., the Corps Cadets will stand guard for 32 minutes before extinguishing the candle, bringing it back into Burrus Hall to continue the legacy that's left.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
D-Day anniversary events remember the ‘Bedford Boys'
BEDFORD, Va. (WFXR) — The anniversary of D-Day is a particularly somber one for the Town of Bedford, which has been home to the National D-Day Memorial since 2001. The town lost 20 young men while they were storming the beaches of Normandy, giving Bedford, a town of just over 3,200 at the time, the highest per capita death toll from D-Day. Executive Director of the Bedford Boys Tribute Center Ken Parker says 19 of those men were killed within the first nine minutes, without ever having fired a shot. 'They gave up all their tomorrows for our today,' said Parker. 'They perpetually teach us that freedom is not free.' At the National D-Day Memorial, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin spoke in front of hundreds, including 10 of the few surviving World War II veterans. He called on listeners to remember the sacrifices of those who gave their lives that day, many of whom, he pointed out, were barely old enough to graduate high school at the time. Clarence 'Bill' Wenzel was one of those men, just 17 at the time he joined the Navy during World War II. On Friday morning, he recalled the moment he was notified that he had been drafted. National D-Day memorial in Bedford commemorates 80th anniversary of D-Day 'I didn't like being drafted to go to war, because I was raised by a pastor,' said Wenzel. 'I was taught to love everybody and now here I'm being trained on how to kill another human being.' Later in the day, dozens gathered outside the Bedford County Courthouse for the annual wreath-laying ceremony for those 20 'Bedford Boys.' On the 10-year anniversary of D-Day, roughly 5,000 met at the courthouse for the dedication of a memorial stone shipped from France to honor the boys. Every year over the next four decades, two of the surviving 'Bedford Boys,' met at the stone to lay an ivy wreath at its base in honor of their fallen brothers. On the 81st anniversary, the town carried on that tradition, as relatives of those two men had the honor of placing the ivy wreath by the stone, while the descendants of the fallen 'Bedford Boys,' looked on. 'It's without a doubt the highlight of our entire year,' said Parker. 'To pay homage and respect to our beloved Bedford Boys.' Finally, at 6:44 p.m., a nod to June of 1944, all the church bells in town rang for one minute, while the bell atop the courthouse rang once for each of the 'Bedford Boys,' that laid down their lives in service of their country. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
CODI Alert: Missing Person
Salem, Va (WFXR) — Virginia State Police have put out a CODI alert on behalf of the Salem Police Department, for 14-year-old Keirnan Toy Kazuhiki Terry. Terry is a white male, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing black Nike sweatpants, a black hoodie with a white graphic on the back, and a black beanie. His hair is currently cut short. Police say he was last seen at 2:20p.m. in the 500 block of Yorkshire Street in Salem, leaving the location on foot. VSP say his disappearance poses a 'credible threat to his health and safety.' Anyone with information is asked to contact the Salem Police Department at (540) 375-3078 (24 hour dispatch), or visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
NBC Sports
04-06-2025
- NBC Sports
Cole Hocker wants to follow Olympic gold with two more career firsts in 2025
Naturally, Cole Hocker wants to follow his 2024 Olympic gold medal by taking the world title this September, but that's not his only goal this summer. Hocker, who last Aug. 6 became the second American in the last 116 years to win an Olympic 1500m, was asked what would make 2025 a successful follow-up campaign. 'World champion,' he said without hesitation. 'That's, without a doubt, the goal. To go back to back in what I think is one of the most competitive eras that the 1500m has ever seen, that would make it a success without a doubt. Obviously, fast times are always in the cards, and I want to run fast, but most importantly, I want to win.' Beyond winning, the 23-year-old has sights set on another event. 'Also making the U.S. team in the 5k alongside the 1500m, I think that would be a huge step in the right direction for my career,' said Hocker, who was seventh in the Olympic Trials 5000m in his fifth total race of that meet. No American has competed in both the 1500m and 5000m at an Olympics or World Championships since Bernard Lagat, who won both events at the 2007 Worlds and took silver and bronze in 2009. Elle St. Pierre did qualify for both events for the 2024 Paris Games but dropped the 5000m to focus on the 1500m. To make his double happen, Hocker will most likely have to place in the top three in both events at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships from July 31-Aug. 3 at his old college home in Eugene, Oregon. Unlike Olympic Trials, he would only have to race three times at nationals. In the 1500m, the U.S. has developed depth over the last few years, just as the world has. At nationals, Hocker must deal with Olympic bronze medalist Yared Nuguse, Hobbs Kessler (fifth in Paris) and possibly emerging talents like Jonah Koech, who won a Diamond League race last week. In the 5000m, Olympic bronze medalist Grant Fisher was the lone American to finish in the top eight at either the 2023 Worlds or the Paris Games. Hocker, who trains under Virginia Tech coach Ben Thomas, will be race tested like never before thanks to the new Grand Slam Track series. He has faced both Nuguse and Olympic silver medalist Josh Kerr of Great Britain at three meets already this season. Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the Tokyo Olympic champion, hasn't raced since March 23 while recovering from an Achilles injury. In six total 1500m races since Paris, Hocker has finished second, third, third, third, third and second. Hocker's gold medal — won with a kick from third place in the last 100 meters — sits on a dresser in his room. No fancy display case. 'From what I've experienced and what I've gotten, you put feelings and emotions onto this object,' he said. 'I try to detach myself from that and just let it be a mark of what a beautiful season I put together. Look at the full season as almost like a work of art. That was a perfect season for me. So I feel like the gold medal for me is just that all encapsulated into an object, but I hate to give any object too much value.' Nick Zaccardi,
