If You're OK, Please Update Your Profile
April 16, 2007— -- Parents, friends and families of Virginia Tech students have been flocking to online sites to check on students. The massively popular social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook became critical lifelines in the moments and hours after the shootings. Some students called ABC News to talk about what happened. The following comments were posted on Facebook.com.
Carlos 'Mohawk Monday' Fernandez (Washington, D.C.) wrote:Many of us are all worried about our friends, so lets do this. If you are okay! Please update your status in facebook to say something like "I'm okay"
Chris Banks (Virginia Tech) wrote:We need to get a facebook group started to keep this news story factual and not sensationalized. The bigger tragedy will be the impact this will have on the nation as a whole and the fact that the words Blacksburg and Virginia Tech will become synonymous with Death.Message - Report
Dhanik Modi (Virginia Tech) wrote:I too started getting messages from people from different countries wanting more and more info about the incident. Some even went to the extent of asking me to record my reaction over a video cam and send it to them. Disgusting!
Ed M (Virginia Tech) wrote:I wish I was still in Blacksburg to be with everyone.
Sara Pendleton Strickler (Virginia Commonwealth University) wrote:I wish I was still in Blacksburg to be with everyone too.
Mitchell Rainero (Kingsport, Tenn.) wrote:Let's not let the media destroy the image of Virginia Tech. Let's remember all the victims of this terrible crime here and everywhere. Those on campus update with reliable info.
Carlos 'Mohawk Monday' Fernandez (Washington, D.C.) wroteMany of us are all worried about our friends, so lets do this. If you are okay! Please update your status in facebook to say something like "i'm okay"That way all of us can see in the feed that you are okay. It is difficult to be out of Blacksburg and get information in. We all have dear friends that we want to hear from so make sure to pass this along to everyone you know.All you have to do is update your status and it will show in the feed and hopefully someone who may be in facebook and worried will see your update.Forward this to friends if you think it is a good idea!!
Julie Zurfluh (Virginia Tech) wrote: I stayed here after college and never thought the tragedies that happen all over the country could happen here.
Brendan Kennedy (Virginia Tech) wrote:My thoughts go out to everyone involved.
Chris Banks (Virginia Tech) wrote:If anybody has any info that hasn't made it to the media please post it here. We're any professors shot?
Al Chidester (Virginia Tech) wrote:We are all a part of the deadliest campus shooting in US history. My prayers go out to all.
Lauren Fernandez (Virginia Tech) wrote:My thoughts and prayers are with everyone that was affected and involved in todays shootings.
Philip Cathell (Virginia Tech) wroteMy condolences to all
Students called into ABC News Now and gave eyewitness accounts of the campus shootings at Virginia Tech. Below are transcripts of their calls.Josh Wargo, Egineering Student
We were sitting in class and all of a sudden heard loud banging noises -- thought it could be construction. Heard screaming through the walls and everyone started to panic. Heard shots down the hallways, everyone started panicking and jumping out the window.
We heard almost 40 or 50 shots. They were going on from the time we heard them and jumped out the window to almost two minutes later. Window was two or three stories. When I landed I was in a daze, standing outside of the building. Then I heard shots going through glass, that's when it hit me that I had to get out of there.
As soon as we heard the shots, people in class started calling 911, they were on the scene two minutes later.
I jumped out of the window and ran into Patten Hall, the neighboring building right across from it.
I was in a mechanics class, engineering class. They sounded like they were coming from the classroom next door. We could hear people screaming "Oh my god" from next door.
One of my friends called me to make sure that everyone is OK. I'm told that they're in stable condition, but some of them got shot. They told me my prof was shot in the face and didn't make it but we're not sure.
I got the e-mails, but my impression was it was prank or nothing serious -- hadn't heard anyone was apprehended or actual bombs were found.
We live in a pretty peaceful community. This is a total shock.
I feel a little bit numb, I've never been in a situation like this before.
Classmate broke his leg jumping out of window, he was able to crawl away from the building, I'm pretty sure he made it to the hospital.
No, I had no idea another shooting had taken place.
Gina Om, Engineering Student
She spoke to ABC News Now from a local hospital where she'd gone to check on an injured friend.
I was just really scared because Norris Hall is the building where I have all my classes, my department. It's kinda surreal because I've always thought Virginia Tech was extremely safe, one of the reasons that I considered to come to the school. It's hard to believe and sad that it happened at this school because it's a nice town.
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