(BRANDI) 10 YEARS AGO
TODAY WE WERE REPORTING
HOW STUNNED THE COUNTRY
WAS
OVER THE TRAGEDY AT
VIRGINA TECH. IN ABOUT
VIRGINIA BEACH TO
REMEMBER THE 32 LIVES
LOST IN WHAT REMAINS THE
WORST SCHOOL SHOOTING IN
OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY.
ALL WEEK WE'VE BEEN
REPORTING THE VIRGINIA
TECH TRAGEDY.
TONIGHT ANDY FOX EXPLAINS
HOW THE TRAGEDY IMPACTED
THOSE WHO WERE
STUDENTS, NOT SHOT, NOT
INJURED, JUST SIMPLY
VIRGINIA TECH STUDENTS.
(ANDY FOX REPORTING AT
VIRGINIA TECH ALUMNI
SHOT DURING THE 2007
TRAGEDY
SHE WASN'T INJURED SHE
WASN'T IN THE TWO
BUILDINGS DURING THE
KILLING SPREE SHE DIDN'T
EVEN LIVE ON CAMPUS
BUT AS YOU'LL SEE LIKE
THOUSANDS OF OTHERS EBONY
TOO BECAME A VICTIM.
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007)
"IT HAS CHANGED ME IN
EVERY ASPECT OF MY LIFE"
ON APRIL 16, 2007 DAYS
BEFORE SHE WAS TO
GRADUATE
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007) "IT IS QUIET. IT IS
TOO QUIET. SOMETHING
DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT. IT
IS SNOWING. SOMETHING
IN NORRIS HALL WHERE 30
WOULD DIE
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007) "I STILL HEAR HER
VOICE DO NOT COME TO
CAMPUS PEOPLE ARE
SHOOTING I AM HIDING AND
HANGING UP. IT
HAUNTS ME TO THIS DAY"
SHE TURNS ON THE TV ONLY
ONE STATION UNRAVELING
THE HORROR
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007) "I FLIP TO ONE
STATION AND I SEE
EVERYTHING. I SEE MY
ENTIRE LIFE UNFOLDING IN
FRONT OF ME. IT'S MY
SCHOOL. ITS A HALF A MILE
EBONY HAD ENCOURAGED HER
TO CONSIDER EBONY'S
MAJOR OF URBAN PLANNING.
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007)
"AND REEMA IS THE TYPE
OF PERSON WHO WHEN SHE
WALKS IN A ROOM SHE
LIGHTS UP THE ROOM HER
SMILE IS CONTAGIOUS A
BEAUTIFUL SOUL INSIDE AND
OUT"
REEMA INVITED EBONY TO A
HER (DANCE) RECITAL.
EBONY DIDN'T GO BUT SAW
REEMA THE WEEKEND BEFORE
SHE WOULD DIE.
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007) "THIS LIGHT WAS
SHINING DOWN ON HER AND
SHE LOOKS SO ANGELIC AND
DON'T JUST WAVY GO SAY
HIGH. EXPLAIN WHY YOU
COULDN'T MAKE IT TO THE
RECITAL"
EBONY DOESN'T KNOW WHY,
BUT SHE DIDN'T GO UP TO
REEMA, JUST WAVED AT HER.
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007)
"DO YOU REGRET YOU
DIDN'T' GO UP EVERY
SINGLE DAY"
WHAT SHE DIDN'T DO FOR
REEMA SHE NOW DOES FOR
MOST EVERYONE WHO CROSSES
HER MIND.
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007)
"IF IT IS 3 IN THE
MORNING AND SOMEONE
CROSSES MY MIND I WILL
WAKE UP AND SEND THEM A
MESSAGE ON
FACEBOOK"
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007)
"JUST TO SAY YOU WERE ON
MY MIND TODAY. I WAS
THINKING ABOUT YOU"
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007) "IF I SEE SOMEONE I
WILL GO UP AND WAVY AT
THEM GO UP AND MAKE SURE
I SAY HELLO TO THAT
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
ON THE END OF THE ROW. I
GO"
WHEN EBONY TRAVELS SHE
WEARS HER HOKIE MEMORY
SHIRT
PLANES ARE THE WORST
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007)
"AND I SIT ON THAT PLANE
AND I START HAVING
ANXIETY ATTACKS BECAUSE
I REALIZE HOW AM I GOING
TO GET
FIRE
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007)
"THERE IS NEVER GONE. I
CAN'T WATCH MOVIES TO
HEAR GUN SHOTS"
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007) "I AM IN A BALL
A COLLEAGUE SAID
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
GET OVER IT
AND WHAT HE SAID AFTER
THAT I WON'T EVEN REPEAT"
SO DEVASTATED BY THAT,
SHE WENT TO HER OFFICE
AND TURNED ON A VACUUM
CLEANER
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007)
"MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS
TURN THIS VACUUM ON
EVER SAID THAT TO ME
BEFORE"
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007)
"THIS CARTOON ALWAYS
GETS TO ME"
THE VIRGINIA COLLEGE
MASCOTS-WEEPING-ONCE ARCH
RIVALS-NOT ANYMORE.
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
2007)
"IT BROUGHT EVERYONE
TOGETHER ACROSS THE
STATE, ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, ACROSS THE
WORLD."
ON THIS EASTER, EBONY WHO
IS A CHRISTIAN HAS NEVER
BLAMED GOD, BUT BLAMED
MAN AND HOW HE TREATS
HIS FELLOW MAN.
(EBONY STEPHENSON,
VIRGINIA TECH CLASS OF
A CHRISTIAN. I NEED TO
FORGIVE."
(ANDY FOX, REPORTING)
"CAN YOU FORGIVE
SEUNG-HUI CHO?"
(PAUSE) (EBONY
STEPHENSON, VIRGINIA TECH
CLASS OF 2007) "BECAUSE
GOD TOLD ME TO YES."
(ANDY FOX ON CAMERA) THIS
DAY REMINDS US OF OUR
MORTALITY TO HOLD FAST TO
SNAP OF A FINGER-
IT CAN ALL BE GONE. TO BE
APPRECIATIVE FOR ALL WE
HAVE.