A Families’ Life Changing Event
Jody McQuade, Mullica Hill resident, recalls the day there was a mass shooting at her son Sean’s school. Jody shares how this event changed each family member, the story of their recovery and updates on how Sean and her family are today.
I don’t believe I’ve actually ever written down my memories of April 16, 2007 …
It’s been almost 15 years since the mass shooting at Virginia Tech. I was working at Century 21 the day our lives changed forever. I had heard that there was a shooting at the university, and I tried over and over and over to get Sean on the phone. My oldest son was in Kansas, and he kept saying “…his phone is probably off…” I reached out to his roommate and his girlfriend and was told that Sean was in the building that was attacked. I then called every hospital in the area…no one knew where Sean was.
To be honest, my heart is racing just recalling what I can from that day.
I couldn’t stay at work any longer, so I went home and there was a message from Roanoke Hospital. It was from a doctor, he said they were treating Sean, he had been shot in the face. My mind and my actions at the time are not something I remember exactly, but my office told me that I called them to say, “Sean was shot and I’m leaving for Virginia.”