Virginia Tech community gathers for annual “Day of Remembrance”

BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - It’s a day Hokies will never forget: April 16, 2007.

“I still struggle sometimes with the fact that this happened here,” said Mark Smith, a Virginia Tech alumni.

15 years ago, 32 students and staff were killed on campus at Virginia Tech.

“It was a deep scar and it’s taking time to heal,” said Smith.

Each year, the Hokie community comes together for a Day of Remembrance. That togetherness was on display as more than 12,000 people paused for a moment of silence before running 3.2 miles in honor of those who were lost that day.

“It helps you realize how tight knit and close the Virginia Tech and Blacksburg community is and how dedicated they are to making us all feel together,” said Aidan McKeon, a sophomore at Tech.

It’s a day that allows Hokies current, past and future time to reflect.

“This is a horrible tragedy and impacted a lot of people, and I just think it’s really important to come out here and pay respects of something of that scale,” said Moriah Smith, an incoming freshman at Tech.

April 16 will never be an easy day for the Hokie community. But their strength and resilience are always on display as they make sure we never forget.