On this date eight years ago, 32 people were killed at Virginia Tech in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history

Today at precisely 9:43am, a statewide vigil and moment of silence was held in Virginia for the 32 students and faculty that were killed on this day in 2007 at the prestigious Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia. The memorial began last night at the school’s April 16 Memorial, which is a set of stones that represent each student and faculty member with their name engraved in it. The ceremonial candle that was lit at midnight will remain lit for 24 hours. The events that occurred on a college campus in what is considered middle America certainly have put parents, students and faculty on high alert around the country even up until today.

Va Tech Student Seung-Hui Cho never faced justice for shooting and killing the 32 people on campus because he took his own life following the massacre. Even though tragic shootings such as Sandy Hook in Connecticut have occurred since these senseless murders in Virginia, many strides have been taken to make our schools safer and keeping parents from receiving that one phone call that none of them want. Some states have drafted bills that would allow educators to come to school strapped, while the more practical and common methods have simply been an overt increase in school safety officers, metal detectors and student access protocol.

-Sha Be Allah(@KingPenStatus)