Families and survivors of Beach shooting deserve better
On April 16, 2007, the largest massacre at a U.S. college took place on the Virginia Tech campus. Thirty-two students and professors were killed and 17 others physically injured, some permanently, not to mention those present that day who were traumatized. All of this was caused by a distraught student who needed help. The institutional response was to push the tragedy away rather than embrace it, to build a wall and pull up the bridge to the moat to protect the school’s image, and keep the victims from building bridges to one another.
On May 31, 2019, a massacre took place in Building No. 2 on the municipal campus of the city of Virginia Beach. Twelve employees were killed and three were wounded, some permanently, not to mention those present that day who were traumatized. All of this was caused by a distraught employee who needed help. The institutional response was to push the tragedy away rather than embrace it, to build a wall and pull up the bridge to the moat to protect the city’s image, and keep the victims from building bridges to one another.
It took compassion, empathy, courage, grace, and leadership after the Virginia Tech shooting. The response by then Gov. Tim Kaine (now U.S. Sen. Kaine) to reach out and ask, “What can I do for you, what do you need,” was commendable. A hand was extended with an embrace, along with constant communication, in response to those in need. Kaine promised to form a commission to determine the cause and what was needed to prevent another mass shooting on a college campus. He included the families of the victims in the process and the results were available within four months. With input from those harmed, changes to make our Virginia college campuses safer were achieved through legislation.
With the support of former Kaine, then Attorney General Robert McDonnell and members of the Virginia General Assembly,
a unique settlement was agreed upon whereby identified Virginia Tech victims were given a forum to meet face-to-face with institutional leadership, policy makers, decision makers and law enforcement to ask questions, air grievances and find a financial path forward which would assist with their long-term trauma-related care needs for physical and psychological injuries.
Dear Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Attorney General Jason Miyares, members of the Virginia General Assembly and the city of Virginia Beach leadership, we beseech you to display the same compassion, empathy, courage, grace and leadership to those families and survivors of the 2019 Virginia Beach shooting as was shown to the Virginia Tech victims.
Resolution without litigation is before you. In fact, it was modeled, and successfully implemented, 15 years ago with the Virginia Tech settlement.
Joe Samaha of Centerville is the former president of the Virginia Tech Victims Family Outreach Foundation (VTV) and now serves as the director of victim advocacy and outreach for VTV, a 501(c)3 organization formed by the families and survivors of the Virginia Tech shooting. He wrote this on behalf of the VTV Board of Directors.