Spread Of Rumors Hard To Understand
TAMPA — Michelle Cardillo had no idea about the shooting at her stepdaughter’s school until a television reporter called, apologizing for bringing “awful news” about deaths at Virginia Tech University.
The reporter was calling to say Brittney-Ann Cardillo, a 20-year-old sophomore communications major from Tampa, was safe.
“That was not awful; that was wonderful,” said Michelle Cardillo, relieved that Brittney-Ann was not among the more than 30 people gunned down in the worst shooting rampage in U.S. history. “That meant Brittney was OK. That was fantastic news.”
Brittney-Ann said she woke up Monday morning to frantic text messages and e-mail from family and friends worried about her safety.
“I had a class — rhetorical tradition, a communications class — that was scheduled for 10:10 a.m., but I didn’t get up until 10:30,” she said. “One of my good friends from home text-messaged me — my phone was not working — to tell me what was going on.”
Brittney-Ann, a 2005 Academy of Holy Names graduate, lives off campus, about a half-mile from Norris Hall, where most of the carnage occurred. She said Monday that she was in shock.
“My roommates were on campus. I was supposed to be in Torgeson Hall, which is near Norris Hall.
“I am a little overwhelmed. I have friends on campus, some that I have not been able to speak with yet.”
One of her friends, Laura Spaventa, a sophomore from Philadelphia, sent an e-mail from Torgeson Hall saying she heard gunfire.
“She was under the desk, e-mailing me from her laptop,” Brittney-Ann said. “We were supposed to have the next class together.”
By late Monday afternoon, news of the shooting was still trickling in, said Brittney-Ann, an aspiring journalist who used to be opinion editor for the campus newspaper, The Collegiate Times. The lack of information was understandable, she said, but had people on edge.
“I am waiting to find out who was killed and injured,” she said. “Even though this is a big school, there is a chance that you could know someone or know of someone — someone’s friend. That’s the scariest part of it.”
Coincidentally, Monday was the first day at a different job for Cedric Smith, a former University of South Florida basketball player who joined the Virginia Tech program two years ago as a strength coach.
He played at USF from 1997 to 2001 and began new duties as an assistant coach at Radford University, also in Virginia on Monday.
“I could see something like this happening in a big city, but not Blacksburg. It’s a safe place to be. You never think anything like this would happen in this area or on this campus,” he said. “Virginia Tech is a good school, but now it’s tarnished. It’s really a nice place to be. But no one will know that after this.”
Brittney-Ann said students were waiting to see how the university handles the aftermath — the second time in less than a year that a violent death has affected the campus.
In August, opening day of class was canceled and the campus closed when an escaped inmate suspected in the slaying of a hospital guard fled to the Virginia Tech area. A sheriff’s deputy involved in the manhunt was killed on a trail just off campus. The inmate, William Morva, faces capital murder charges.
News coverage of the shooting has been educational, said Brittney-Ann, who would like to get into journalism or law school when she graduates.
“There have been a lot of rumors and speculation going on, and that has been hard.” she said. “This has taught me how much actually goes into reporting and how many sides there are and how many rumors there are.”
She said she covered the Morva incident for the newspaper and remembers how many rumors there were then.
“This is more serious. I am more scared,” she said.
The shootings also thrust Brittney-Ann into a history lesson.
“I was really young when Columbine happened,” she said. “I never thought in a million years it would happen here.”
Information from the The Associated Press was used in this report. Reporters Elaine Silvestrini and Bret McMurphy also contributed.
