First, the school adm. does not lock down the campus after the initial two shootings and now this. What a sad commentary on the administration. Wow, they must really care about the emotional well being of their students.

You have got to be kidding me! I agreed when the university encouraged potential students to still consider them. But you seriously expect us to consider your school when you send out a message telling parents not to come be with their children? They may technically be adults, and it may be a crime sceen, but my name is still on the signature line of the check. Sorry Virginia Tech Engineering, your name just got crossed off my son's list. It was bad enough this year when Purdue Univ Police couldn't find a dead body right under their noses, but this is just too much!

I work at a school as an administrator and I disagree with VT. They should encourage the families to come and help the student get through this horrific nightmare. Families heal families!

Ofcourse any parent should be there in the blink of an eye.Kids need them emotionally and for moral support at that time as well as the parents to bond with their traumatised kids.No law on earth can stop them.My heart goes out to all the victims and their families and also for all the entire staff and students.We will always keep them in our prayers.God bless each and every one of them.

Having read that many administrators, staff and fellow students agreed Mr. Cho was either depressed and/or disturbed, I can't help but wonder why no one accepted the responsibility to be more vocal?
If I were to come into contact with a fellow student who didn't respond when greeted, wrote of macabre acts in a creative writing class and was always alone...what more "red flags" were needed?
Placing blame is too easy...let's all pay better attention to what is going on around us!

How can you ask parents to stay away at such a terrible moment like this? There is NO way! Now I can understand the terrible choice this school made by not shutting down after the first two deaths. It took 30 more for them to make that call. That's at least 30 people who could have survived. I guess 2 deaths wasn't enough. My condolences go out to all the families and friends of the victims. We need to really pay more attention to people with such behavior as described. When someone is so disturbed and its so obvious, they are a walking time bomb. When are they going to get it?

My heart alo aches for the parents who lost their dear children. As a parent of a college student, I know I would be there as fast as humanly possible to give my daughter alot of hugs and much love. I can't understand why anyone would ask a parent to stay away from your children at a time like this. If they ever needed us to be with them for support, it would definitely be at this time.

I have to completely agree with everyone else in this situation. I think that something should seriously be done with the school officals because at 7:15a.m. when the first shooting occured, they should have started off an immediate school lockdown informing everyone what had happened. It was taken to lightly, being that other school shootings have occured in the past this should have been handled in a profesional manner with the students and faculty's best interest held first and foremost. When the first shooting occured without a suspect, something should have been alarmed. I hold the school accountable for housing someone that a member of the falculty deemed to be mentally unstable. I will be praying for the student both alive and deceased as well as all falculty; I pray that all schools take this as lesson and pay attention to all signs shown. God bless America!

The President of VT is simply out of touch. Even suggesting that parents not come to see the children is outrageous. In my book, the decisions his administration made cost a lot of kids their lives. Now he's throwing salt in the wound. Do the right thing - resign.

As the father of eight, including two in college and two graduated, I can assure you that Virginia Tech's "Parents stay away" policy is par for the course in, so-called, higher education. Idiotic administrators and professors NEVER want to deal with parents. The bastards.

Mi corazon va a las familia de las victima a los empleados de colegio. Deseando que paz de Dios este en ese lugar. La Biblia dice: "Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna. solo Dios hara Justia al Pecador. Dios te ama. y bendigo a todos las personas que sufren en este momento..solo pon tu mirada a Dios. y el te contestara. Paz !!!!!!!!!!!!

As a Parent and a College Teacher I understand the Parents absolute need to go to their children. I would go if my daughter were there. Nothing would stop me I think the College was trying to do their job in response to the local police force. and I would probably "request" that parents stay away as is the policy of most schools for various reasons. But I would do everything in my power to help them find and protect their children if they ignored my request. If my daughter had been there, I would have ignored that request. It is our nature to go to our children when they are in danger. My heart goes out to all the people involved in this act of horror. I hope we teach our children in such a way that they learn more tolerance and peace. This is a very uneasy time in History.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the student's and there families in this horrible tradedy.

I am a mother of 2 girls and nothing could keep me away from my kids in their time of need!! I do believe the administration should have set up some sort of meeting place for families to meet. My prayers go out to all the victims and their families. They also go out to the family of the shooter. He was obviously a troubled young man who was reaching out for help and just hadn't found any at the time. May God be with all of you!! With God's love and healing touch we will all survive this some how!!

If it were my children, I would have been there yesterday!!! I can't believe the school would say that. I realize it's a crime scene, but come on.. I can't believe they had the heart to even mention fact they don't want parents there...

Did anyone consider that the university may have been trying to maintain order? Coupled with an instruction to call your parents to let them know you are OK, the message would have sounded better.
Can anyone imagine hoards of parents flooding the campus, trending on the crime scene, not finding their child, and panicing? Even when the kid trying to call them at home and is safe? When we all calm down we will simply see this as a meer mistake in the phrasing of the all important creed in times of crisis "Remain Calm". Otherwise the foolish school should have locked down if the suspect was not found immediately, and stayed down until the police have secured the campus or part thereof.
The campus staff was very slow on that day.

Virginia Tech should be closed for the remainder of this school year and the students sent home. Give them all an A and let them go. This tragedy will overshadow everything done on this campus, including finals. The school year is over.

I cannot imagine the individual with the audacity to implore parents of student not to come to the campus. Kids, young adults and yes even old adults need the support and re-assurances of family. I would like to know who and what was the motivation behind such a request! This is exactly the type of mis-administration that leads to a broken society. “You go families” and do what U think is best for your loved ones as you do know best regardless of parchment paper edicts. If at any time FEMA or others could make a difference, support the arriving parents which will help an overwhelmed campus cadre. We should all remember that in spite of the indignance of this Administrator’s request, there are many other cadre doing whatever it takes to make a positive difference for the students, usually they are the doers not the Sayers. May JC comfort you in this great time of need, our prayers are with all.

Although I feel horribly for all of those affected by this traumatic event, I can't help but to wonder about something: As fast as people are pouring out bad words aimed at law enforcement officials, as well as the college, for the way they have acted, and thier timings, you would think they would understand the importance to stay away from this crime scene. I hope none of these parents blame any person belonging to the college or the law enforcement officials involved for 'tainted evidence' later down the road. I think everybody needs to keep that on their minds: the justice due to the departed victims families. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to keep some distance from the college while this is being figured out.

I agree with the outpouring of love for these kids and families. Who wouldnt want to be with these kids to comfort them is the better question? I dont have a kid going there but I want to hug ever one of them.
I really am taken by surprise that school officials would be so callous in their request of eliminating parental suppost. This is probably the single most catastrophic event in the lives of these kids and it is simply unfounded to think parents would actually respond to the schools request and stay away. In closing, I am now questioning the safety of these higher educational institutions not to mention those who are making the decisions here. Why wouldnt you close the campus down when the first shots were fired. A quick witted dean might of saved a life or two. Just a thought!

this was a great tradedy in american history, I remember Kent State, I remember the numerous times when as a nation we had to keep on reliving the tragadies of vietnam - and for a parent NOT to be there with their children - unbearable - We need to remember that our nation was created with families in mind - one nation - one family - we need to rally and support families and relatives in this time of need - I know that the administration will have a difficult time dealing with the ramifications of who is who - BUT - when your child is hurt - you go to them - always - no matter where - no matter what - and for a university to say to us as parents we sould not be with our children - geeezzzzz

Don Teague, NBC News should cite which administrators "implored" this request of parents. This is the first and only reference I have read or heard of this request. I question the accuracy of this report.
I look forward for the national media to leave us alone to mourn in peace.

My prayers go out to all of you , we,as a nation are all greving for your lose. This is a hard time I'm sure for all, but please keep your faith and spirit strong. God Bless!!

Tack on another bad decision by the leadership of this esteemed school. Their inaction this terrible morning cost many their lives. Administrators too long making policy and out of touch with whom these policies are for. Resign.

I think that keeping away everyone is a tactic by universities to conceal their mistakes. This will unfold; shortly, very shortly.This is so that when parents review crime statistics on campuses,the statistics look ok.College police are instructed not to be pro-active in daily routines, only respond; mum is the word.
This tactic has now been unveiled with a backfire in the worst of ways. I don't condemn individuals.However,no one, can dictate to a parent,tuition payer,student nor professor that they may or may not, " walk on the grass." If they have that much authority, then why did they not use it at 7:15am? Or, for the following 2 hrs.? In a ranking position, decision making of some sort is essential.In this case, there seems to be no detection of authoritative decision making abilities.This gives the implication that "someone" in the chain of command is not responsible enough to be in "charge." I cry and give my love to you, who are like me, shocked and at a loss in more ways than mine.
B