Virginia Tech Killings

On April 16, 2007, a student at Virginia Technological Institute shot and killed 32 people and

wounded at least 25 others before taking his own life. The rampage in Norris Hall generated unthinkable horror and incredible heroism, as many faculty and students lost their lives trying to protect others. The incident rekindled national debates on mental illness and dangerousness, violence prevention and response, and the role of the media. Questions immediately arose about what the psychological impacts of the shootings would be on the survivors, witnesses, their families, first responders, and the entire Virginia Tech community. Research on mass shootings is not extensive but is sufficient to allow preliminary conclusions about (1) the prevalence, persistence, and predictors of post-shooting PTSD; (2) the nature of survivor and community concerns; and (3) lessons learned for response. Fifteen events were identified whose consequences have been studied empirically or reviewed systematically. Within these three broad themes, this review is organized by event. There are three reasons for this choice. First, specific studies typically spanned multiple survivor groups, including the injured, eyewitnesses, parents, teachers and, occasionally, the community. Second, each event (and population studied) has unique elements that shape how well the findings may or may not generalize to other events (and populations), such as a shooting on a college campus. Third, the focus on events helped to illustrate how researchers have attempted to study these events – who was studied, how a control or comparison group was found, and why many (but not all) of these studies were small. The bibliography includes relevant examples