News came today of the shooting at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. As I write this at 7:30 pm my time (10:30 pm on the East Coast) there is much we don’t know; we do know that 33 people have died in two separate shootings. We think there was one shooter and he committed suicide. Names are being held until family is notified.

The strangest part of this is that two people were killed in a dorm (West Ambler Johnson); two hours later 31 more died at Norris Hall. If one shooter was responsible for both shootings, what was he doing (let alone thinking) for those two hours?

My nephew Nate is a sophomore at Old Dominion University; it’s in a different part of the state but I needed to talk with him today. He has several friends at Tech but has heard from most everyone. I have to believe there are parents all over Virginia and beyond who are praying they don’t hear the doorbell tonight. My prayers are with them.