For Halloween, I Want to Be a Virginia Tech Shooting Victim Options

[Comptine]

Va. Tech mockery incites anger
Photos have surfaced online showing Penn State students dressed for Halloween as Virginia Tech shooting victims.

All it took were a couple of pictures posted on the Internet. Mere hours after a Virginia television station reported that Penn State students had uploaded pictures of Halloween partygoers dressing as Virginia Tech shooting victims, criticism exploded from both campuses, with one Facebook.com group denouncing the costumes reaching 4,100 members as of 2 a.m. this morning.

The only publicly accessible picture, uploaded after Halloween, shows a woman wearing an orange Virginia Tech T-shirt smeared with blood and a bullet wound, posing jauntily. According to television station WSLS in Roanoke, Va., several other pictures showed a similarly attired man.

For Virginia Tech students still shaken by a tragedy not yet a year old, the pictures are a slap in the face from students of a university they once lauded for its sensitivity and compassion in the wake of their loss.

University spokesman Bill Mahon, who released a statement to the Blacksburg, Va. campus, said he was shocked by the pictures.

"I certainly find it appalling, as most Penn Staters would find it appalling," he said. He said he believes it happened "off campus, in a private party."

Caitlin Beckett, a sophomore majoring in finance at Virginia Tech, agreed. Learning of the pictures several hours before she was interviewed, she said it was too painful to join the group protesting against it. Her friend, Mary Read, then 19, died in the shootings.

"I just didn't want to think about it -- it's just kind of sickening," she said. "You would think that people, after what happened, would have more respect than that ... even if it happened after five years, it wouldn't be OK."

Virginia Tech freshman Krista Silano wasn't a student at the university when Cho Seung Hui shot and killed 32 students last April, but she remembers the wave of loss and grief that struck the town.

She attended a memorial service with her high school lacrosse team.

"It's going to affect everyone who was affected or even just goes here," she said. "I didn't think that would ever happen from any community. I didn't think anyone would make light of the subject."

Penn State football player Evan Royster said he feels the same anger. He knew two of the shooting victims from his Chantilly, Va. high school -- also attended by Cho -- and played below the maroon-and-orange "VT Section" students organized for the Blue and White football game last year.

"It just kind of makes me mad," the running back said. "I don't get why somebody would make a mockery out of something like this."

But, he said, he hopes Blacksburg residents will realize that the actions of the photographed students do not represent the whole university.

Erin Carroll (sophomore-sociology) is in a similar situation -- a 10-year Blacksburg resident, she said she's caught between feeling the same outrage and defending her new home of State College.

"That's horrible to do. Really insensitive," she said. "When [the shooting] did happen, we did the dressing for the Blue and White game. I sent a lot of the pictures home, and they were incredibly touched and moved; it was a very big deal to them.

"For the same college to turn around and turn their back on that," she continued, "it would be very, very hurtful."

Other Penn State students reacted with similar shock and revulsion when shown the available picture.

Cameron Wade (freshman-supply chain and information systems) held a print of the photograph closer, and then passed it away, disgusted.

"Anyone associated with Virginia Tech should be angered by that. It's like joking about the Holocaust," he said. "College students drink a lot of alcohol, and I'm sure they thought it was funny at the time. But that's not a thing to joke about."

The Virginia Tech athletics department wrote in a letter last week that "no group showed more support for Virginia Tech students than the student body of Penn State."

Josh Valentine (sophomore-recreation, park and tourism management) summed up what probably is the worst fear for a university that prided itself on extending a helping hand to a sister institution in need.

"If I was at Virginia Tech, I would hate Penn State for life," he said.

Students Dress as VT Victims, Cause Outrage

It started with a picture on Facebook and has now created a firestorm of outrage.

Two Penn State students, dressed as Virginia Tech shooting victims, at a Halloween party have enraged people from the Virginia Tech community, as well as the entire country.

10 On Your Side has seen all of the controversial pictures. They are of two Penn State students and are extremely graphic. Both are wearing Virginia Tech t-shirts and elaborate make-up. Both have bullet holes in their bodies.

Our decision not to show you the pictures is a result of our desire to be sensitive to a community that is still grieving. We also want to show respect to the shooting victims, their families, and their friends. Showing these pictures would serve no purpose.

We talked with one of the students who wore the costume. He said the outfits were worn to a small party and meant to be private.

"It's not that it was funny, it's that we are notorious and infamous in the state college, so we have to do things that push the envelope just for shock value," he said.

Penn State officials were quick to respond to the costumes.

"We are appalled that these individuals would display this level of insensitivity, indifference, and lack of common decency and sense by dressing up in this manner," the school said.

"The fact that one of these individuals is actually from Virginia, makes it even more difficult to understand. Just because something is within the bounds of the Constitution and free speech, does not mean it should be undertaken. We certainly condemn these ugly and senseless actions. Most Penn Staters are as offended by this as anyone from Virginia Tech would be-- and rightfully so. These two people do not represent 90,000 Penn State students. They represent themselves."

After seeing the pictures, a Virginia Tech student created a Facebook group called, "People Against This Costume." Some of the upset members have left threatening messages to the Penn State students.

"This is a group of college students who now think it's trendy to be upset about their friends being killed," one of the two Penn State students who wore the costume said. "I don't know what they teach people in Virginia Tech, but at Penn State we don't learn to threaten people with murder to teach them that murdering is wrong."

He goes on to defend the pictures.

"The thing is, everybody's making a big stink about Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech was 32 deaths out of the 26 thousand that happen in America everyday," he said. "That's the problem with college students. They all live in an ivory tower of privilege. They don't understand, when it all boils down to it, it's someone wearing a costume."

Reaction from Tech students and Blacksburg residents was disgust.

"That somebody would have the nerve to mock [the victims]. They were really good people," said local business owner, Carol Gwin.

Gwin knew three of the victims in the shootings and considered them cherished friends.

If this is double, sorry. Haven't been on in awhile.

Apparently, though I couldn't find the articles stating it, Virginia Tech students are rallying for the two Penn State students to get suspended.

I personally think death threats and suspension is a stupid reaction to something people need to learn to live with. People crack jokes about every tragedy in history: 9/11, the tsunami, the Holocaust, Columbine. Why should they be any exception?

I understand their outrage and grief. I would respect that they lost friends and loved ones and colleagues. But, honestly, the violent retaliation is too mismatched. Suspension? For a tactless and thoughtless costume?

Before you say I have no idea what it's like to lose someone or see how a school acts in tragedy, my high school lost two kids in a violent car crash. I can guarantee that over 70% of the people who publicly made grieving spectacles of themselves or wore the favorite colors of the deceased were doing it because everyone was doing it. After Vtech happened, people who never heard of the school started wearing Vtech shirts. Mass grieving really has turned into something that's trendy.

What do you guys think of the situation?

[LoveToMySilas]

Wow. I haven't heard about this on the news, but that's really sad. Thats like if someone dressed up as a 911 terrorist. People are just...crazy these days.

[karmakiller]

Damn, I never heard about this. I can understand why they're outraged. It didn't directly affect me, but, I think I still have enough respect not to do that. It's just distasteful. And it's very clear what they were doing... it's stupid. The shootings didn't happen that long ago, those wounds are still fresh. I wasn't directly affected by the Holocaust or National Socialism either, but that doesn't mean it's accpettable for me to dress like victim, or Hilter.

[Gryffindor-Girl]

That idea is sick and twisted I would NEVER dress as a victim of ant sort or as a person who inflicts pain (physical and/or emotional) it would show that I support it which I don't.

[no-name]

someone did that at my high school but nothing happened to them except for an after school detention. it is a sick thing to do though.

[NoSex]

I think the kids should be allowed to be as tasteless as their sick little hearts desire. I don't care. Punishing them only gives power to their stunts - although it is sort of funny anyways.

[jaeman]

I haven't heard of this before but that really is a slap in the face.

[*yrrnotelekktric*]

Wow. I haven't heard about this on the news, but that's really sad. Thats like if someone dressed up as a 911 terrorist. People are just...crazy these days.

no, people are just stupid.

[iGio]

I think the kids should be allowed to be as tasteless as their sick little hearts desire. I don't care. Punishing them only gives power to their stunts - although it is sort of funny anyways.

I agree.I seriously do not see anything wrong with it.The v.t guy = my hero.

=)