I have a message to those in the media who are spewing their anger and hatred on cue. Have you ever walked on that campus during "normal" times? It has been easy to second guess the administration, the police and others in their handling of situations regarding the shooting after the fact. I for one, understand why they did what they did. Have you ever been to 4th floor West AJ? I have. When I was a student 16 years ago I visited many friends in West AJ. Without writing a 20 page dissertation, I can tell you how Cho got into West AJ without a swipe card. I can tell you why the police would assume it was a domestic disturbance. I can tell you why they assumed the killer had left campus. I can tell you why they thought they had the situation under control long before Cho entered Norris Hall. Have you ever been to Norris Hall? I never had a class in Norris, but I did have one in a nearby building with a similar design. I can tell you how Cho could have chained the doors shut without anyone knowing. I can tell you how Norris Hall quickly became a killing field for Cho. The students never stood a chance. It is only due to the grace of God and the heroics of several faulty and students that more were not killed that morning. Have you ever discussed privacy laws with university administration when they were not in a defensive posture? I have. As a parent, they don't make sense. One the one hand, we treat university students as children, but in the eyes of the law, they are no different than the men and women of the same age who are fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanastan. The past week has been very tough for me. I am now living in Northern Virginia (far away from Blacksburg), but I have cried many times for and with my fellow Hokies. Hokie Nation is strong and we will prevail. Please, stop pointing fingers. Please, stop yelling about everything that was "missed". Please, stop focusing on the "mind of the killer". Please, focus on the 32 beautiful tomorrows that were stolen. Please, focus on Cho's family, who are obviously suffering so much for their loss and the loss their son/brother created. When classes start again on Monday...please, allow the students the dignity to continue mourning while trying to allow themselves to return their lives to "normal". We ARE Virginia Tech. GO HOKIES! Mike Evans Virginia Tech Class of 1991

I have not walked those steps but my husband has. He is a Tech grad and we have cried many times this week. We are very saddened by and somewhat angry at the criticism that the media and many others in the general public have placed on the school and it's administrators. We turn off the television every time someone starts the blame game. We live about 2 1/2 hours north of Tech in an area with lots of alumni and fans. Two of the students that were injured were from our community and we have many more who call Tech home. We also have a large population of students in our county and neighboring counties who will be attending Tech in the fall. A lot of these students have been interviewed and have said that this tragedy has not affected the way they feel about the school, nor has if affected their decision to return or to start in the fall. I have a 15 year old who dreams of attending Tech and will cherish the experience if given the opportunity. I will be proud to call myself a Hokie Parent. I have experienced through my husband what a special place Virginia Tech is and the lasting love and dedication that the alumni carry for the school. I have met many alumni and friends through my husband and have never met a group more proud of their school. Their dedication is surpassed by none. We will continue praying for the families of the victims, the injured and their families, the student population and administration that remains during their time of healing, and for the alumni. We know the Hokie Nation is a strong one and will rise above this tragedy and the criticism to prevail with more strength and pride than ever. HOKIES ARE THE BEST!

Mike, Thank you so much for putting my feelings into words. My son is a freshman at VT and, as fate would have it, my family was in Blacksburg on Monday visiting him. He lives in West AJ on the 5th floor but heard nothing that morning as he prepared and departed for his 8:00 class. He returned to West AJ after his class to find police officers checking IDs. He was allowed back in his room on the 5th floor and then left to join us for breakfast (at that point, the rumors were that there had been a stabbing). Little did he or we know that while we were eating breakfast in Christiansburg, the horrific events unfolded on campus. We returned to campus after seeing a flood of police cars heading towards campus on 460 and ambulances heading away. We stopped at the Post Office on Main Street when we could not get on campus and heard the loud speaker announcements. We returned to our room at the Inn at VT and watched with the rest of Hokie Nation as the terrible details came to light. As I watched the media frenzy unfold from my room at the Inn, I was shocked and angered by the "lynch-mob" mentality and the "morning after" second-guessing by so-called experts. At times, their insensitivity was appalling. I am proud of the university's response and actions following this horrific event. I echo your sentiments that there has been too much finger pointing. Media - let Hokie Nation move on and recover. My son is a proud Hokie and we are proud Hokie Parents. It is a wonderful place and community that will forever be changed by the events. On a positive note, I have no doubt that it will emerge even a stronger and closer community than before. In that sense, the gunman failed! As I stood among the masses at the Candlelight Vigil on the night of April 17th, I was moved by the sense of community, pride and love on that beautiful campus. And I prayed that the students and faculty someday will recover. I also vowed to never forget "the 32 beautiful tomorrows that were stolen." In their memories, Hokie Nation will move forward and continue to "Invent the Future." Todd Fox Commander, US Navy UNC Class of 86 Proud Hokie Dad

Suspect is not a synomym for perpetrator.  Nor is it one for criminal.  Yes, I have walked those steps, and it breaks my heart all the more that law enforcement, with the concurrence of an academic administration that I would have expected to know better, relaxed their vigilence due to the taking a suspect into custody.  I don't have the pain of wives and parents who lost family that day, but now I have constant fear for my Hokie student daughter.  If anything good can possibly come of this, I hope law enforcement learns:  suspect does not equal criminal.