April 25, 2007

National News Coverage :: VA Tech Campus Crusade for Christ Students

Posted by National Campus Office :: 10:12 am

ABC Good Morning America
Freshman Who Found Students Dead Believes Cho Should Be Forgiven April 19, 2007

ABC Good Morning America
Freshman’s Haunting Discovery April 19, 2007

CBN The 700 Club
VT Students Seek Hope in Tragedy April 17, 18, 2007

CBS Evening News with Katie Couric
Student Recounts Deadly Day April 18, 2007

CBS The Early Show
Freshman Found Friends Dead April 19, 2007

CBS Only On The Web:
A Room Away From First Victim April 18, 2007

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams
Day of Prayer (Keeping the Faith) April 19, 2007

TIME
Witness: The Dormitory Murders April 20, 2007

April 19, 2007

Media Coverage of Molly’s Story

Posted by National Campus Office :: 9:35 am

You can now view Molly’s interviews with the National Media online. Molly is a freshman that is involved in the ministry of Campus Crusade at Virginia Tech. She lived next door to the first victim of Mondays’ shootings.

Also read Molly’s story as told by Tony Arnold, Media Relation’s Director with the Campus Ministry.

April 18, 2007

Molly’s Story

Posted by Tony Arnold :: 9:32 pm

“I sat straight up in bed. It sounded like a girl’s scream,” explained Molly.

The redheaded freshman continued, “As I was putting my clothes on, I heard four sharp sounds and another scream. I thought the legs of one of my neighbor’s loft beds had collapsed. I opened my dorm room door and looked down the hall. There was a pool of blood flowing from under Emily’s door. Sneaker prints were in the blood heading across the hall toward the elevator or stairs.”

“I was so scared!” Tears began to flow from her eyes. “I tried to open Emily’s door. As I pushed on the door, I realized there was a man’s body lying on the floor…”

Sarah Gale, a Campus Crusade Regional Director, and I were sitting with Molly and her family in an IHOP restaurant near VA Tech on Tuesday evening. Molly is a freshman very active with Campus Crusade.

In the next few minutes, Molly’s parents, sitting between Sarah and me, heard for the very first time the full story of what her daughter went through early Monday morning. Molly was the first person to discover the first murder victims!

For an eternity we shared in the tears, the tension and the horror of Monday as Molly shared the rest of her story. Just a few hours earlier, we had all heard the news that the body of one of Molly’s close friends had been identified by her parents at the morgue. Lauren was also active in Campus Crusade.

Dozens of CRU students, beginning with her student Bible Study leaders, the girls in her freshman Bible Study, her boyfriend Tom and the guys in his study have all rallied around Molly. She is trusting in her Lord. But her emotions are very raw and the tears come easily when she remembers.

Molly believes the shooter randomly chose the 4th floor to come out of the stairs and started opening the first doors. The girl at the first room always locks her door. Molly rarely locks her door, but because Tom had insisted she lock her door Sunday night she did. Emily’s door is often unlocked. Except for a locked door and for sleeping through her alarm, Molly believes she could have been the first person on the floor to meet the shooter.

Molly wants to tell her story. Molly has been mercifully protected from the press so far.

Molly, her parents and I agreed that I would get in touch with a few of my contacts at the largest news media. She will tell her story to a national audience under times and places of our choosing.

Then Molly will stop doing interviews!

She will be buffered and protected by her friends and the VA Tech Campus Crusade for Christ staff. I promised Molly and her parents, that Campus Crusade would do whatever it takes to help her feel safe. If she needs to get away with her friends, we’ll make it happen. As we sat together remembering, the slightest sound could startle her.

Molly is never alone. She will not be going back to her dorm room. I was with Molly and Tom last night until well after midnight as we moved around campus and from house to house where groups of her friends gathered to sing and pray. Some cried. Some watched videos or played games.

I was on the phone with the major networks until well after midnight. Around 11pm, Molly decided she didn’t want to do the live morning shows.

Please keep Molly in your prayers as she tells her story of horror and the comfort she is experiencing from the Lord with her friends.

April 17, 2007

Update from Campus Crusade Staff Team

Posted by National Campus Office :: 2:58 pm

While students at Virginia Tech wait for the identity of victims to be confirmed from Monday’s campus massacre, the media from around the world zooms in for a closer look.

They’re seeing students praying.

At Virginia Tech, Campus Crusade for Christ is nicknamed Cru. Ten staff members serve a group of more than 500 involved students on campus.

When the shootings happened, the Cru staff members were gathered together for their weekly staff meeting.

“We had a prayer meeting Monday night for our students and the students of some other organizations,” says Dave Broadwell, who has worked with Cru at Virginia Tech since 1991. “Most students are shocked and numb at this point, not sure what to think and feel. I feel the same way.”

The day after the shootings, the staff members agreed to spend the day in the local Cru office to pray with students and talk with them.

At noon on Wednesday, the team plans to pray with other Christian groups on the drill field, a very central place on campus, reported Broadwell.

The staff team invites the watching world to join with them in prayer, depending on God.

“Please pray that amidst it all that the Lord would be glorified, families would be comforted and students would grieve appropriately,” says Broadwell. “I have a feeling no one is going to know how to move on from here.