One year later.

Thirty-two gunned down at Virginia Tech.

A suicidal killer named Seung-Hui Cho.

What more do we really know?

There can be no doubt about this choice, and we wish like heck we didn’t have to make it. Just posting it here seems to bring all the horror back in an instant.

During the early morning hours of April 16, 2007, a young gunman went on a rampage on the Virginia Tech college campus. By the time he was finished, more than 30 students and faculty members lay dead. It was a tragedy of such an immense scope, we need not remind anyone here of the horrendous details, only that during this holiday season of thanksgiving and joy and celebration, our hearts and prayers here at Crime Rant are with the families of the victims.

May they all rest in peace:

Ross Alameddine • Jamie Bishop • Brian Bluhm • Ryan Clark • Austin Cloyd • Jocelyne Couture-Nowak • Kevin Granata • Matt Gwaltney • Caitlin Hammaren • Jeremy Herbstritt • Rachael Hill • Emily Hilscher • Matthew La Porte • Jarrett Lane • Henry Lee • Liviu Librescu • G.V. Loganathan • Partahi Mamora Halomoan Lumbantoruan • Lauren McCain • Daniel O’Neil • Juan Ramon Ortiz • Minal Panchal • Daniel Perez Cueva • Erin Peterson • Michael Pohle • Julia Pryde • Mary Read • Reema Samaha • Waleed Shaalan • Leslie G. Sherman • Maxine Turner • Nicole Regina White

The Virginia Tech tragedy is a reminder that there is no safe place. And though there were many other crime stories in the news, this one broke the heart of a nation.

But, hey, that’s what we think. What do you think was the Crime Story of 2007?

I’ve been thinking a lot about crime news and the state of the world these days. Since it is Saturday, and I should be weeding the garden or working on the new book, I’m avoiding both.

A few things that are rattling around my mind…

I’m stilling trying to wrap my brain around about Virginia Tech and the tragedy that happened there – and how I feel about it. Of course, it was a huge tragedy. But something strange happened to me this time, a few days after the news broke that 33, including the gunman were dead. I accepted it. The massacre didn’t resonate with me the way that Columbine did. Or the September 11th attacks. Or even the Amish school shooting. The pain spike I felt was swift, but abrupt. The Columbine case stunned me for weeks, maybe months.

Even now.

But Virginia Tech? Not so much. I’m being honest here. Some have said, “Well, you don’t feel connected in some personal way.”  Maybe. With Columbine, my girls were in public school, so I felt that more, I guess. But now they both are 22 and at different universities. So, you’d think I’d feel some real connection. I did call them both the morning the news broke, but simply reminded them that they had to be vigilant when taking a seat in a classroom (sit by the door, near an exit….don’t draw attention to yourself…). That was it.

I saw the shooter’s vile videos. I read all the news accounts. But if you asked me how to spell his name, I couldn’t do it without a Google search. He’s a nut. Let’s move on. Learn from it? Jeesh, what we learn is that we’re not going to be able to protect each other when a nutcase enters the equation. That’s it.

In away, I wonder if my own numbness (not indifference, because I “get” the magnitude of what happened) is an acceptance of unthinkable violence as a cost of living today?

The Alec Baldwin flap? What do I really think? Nothing. I don’t care. My parents probably called me worse names. I’ve said things to my own children that I wish I could reel back. Hasn’t everyone? Baldwin is in a toxic custody battle, like thousands of others. Why does he go on The View to apologize and the guy down the road who slaps his kid around isn’t held up to any public ridicule? Why do we give a rip about any of these people because they have a TV show?

Don Imus? Double Jeesh. I never listened to him. His joke the women’s basketball team was lame. I can’t deny that those young women didn’t deserve the remark. It was mean-spirited and cruel. But I do wonder why is it OK for fat bald white guys to be held up as a joke? (Full disclosure this blog entry is written by a fat bald white guy). Why are we so selective in our targets for justice? Why do we keep seeing the same faces over and over telling us what should be in our hearts?

I’m feeling like I’m being told how to feel, how to parent, how to do this or that, that I can’t even care anymore.

Thanks for listening. Off to do my weeding. Sun’s out. It’s a beautiful day.

[CR Note: The family of Virginia Tech murderer Seung Hui Cho issued a statement today. It was written by Cho's sister, Sun Kyung Cho, on the family's behalf. Truly hearbreaking, all the way around.]

On behalf of our family, we are so deeply sorry for the devastation my brother has caused. No words can express our sadness that 32 innocent people lost their lives this week in such a terrible, senseless tragedy.

We are heartbroken.

We grieve alongside the families, the Virginia Tech community, our State of Virginia, and the rest of the nation. And, the world.

Every day since April 16, my father, mother and I pray for students Ross Abdallah Alameddine, Brian Roy Bluhm, Ryan Christopher Clark, Austin Michelle Cloyd, Matthew Gregory Gwaltney, Caitlin Millar Hammaren, Jeremy Michael Herbstritt, Rachael Elizabeth Hill, Emily Jane Hilscher, Jarrett Lee Lane, Matthew Joseph La Porte, Henry J. Lee, Partahi Mamora Halomoan Lumbantoruan, Lauren Ashley McCain, Daniel Patrick O’Neil, J. Ortiz-Ortiz, Minal Hiralal Panchal, Daniel Alejandro Perez, Erin Nicole Peterson, Michael Steven Pohle Jr., Julia Kathleen Pryde, Mary Karen Read, Reema Joseph Samaha, Waleed Mohamed Shaalan, Leslie Geraldine Sherman, Maxine Shelly Turner, Nicole White, Instructor Christopher James Bishop, and Professors Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, Kevin P. Granata, Liviu Librescu and G.V. Loganathan.

We pray for their families and loved ones who are experiencing so much excruciating grief. And we pray for those who were injured and for those whose lives are changed forever because of what they witnessed and experienced.

Each of these people had so much love, talent and gifts to offer, and their lives were cut short by a horrible and senseless act.

We are humbled by this darkness. We feel hopeless, helpless and lost. This is someone that I grew up with and loved. Now I feel like I didn’t know this person.

We have always been a close, peaceful and loving family. My brother was quiet and reserved, yet struggled to fit in. We never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence.

He has made the world weep. We are living a nightmare.

There is much justified anger and disbelief at what my brother did, and a lot of questions are left unanswered. Our family will continue to cooperate fully and do whatever we can to help authorities understand why these senseless acts happened. We have many unanswered questions as well.

Our family is so very sorry for my brother’s unspeakable actions. It is a terrible tragedy for all of us.