On what began as an ordinary Monday, April 16, 2007, the life of Jeremy Herbstritt, a 27-year-old male, was tragically cut short in Blacksburg, Virginia. A graduate student at Virginia Tech pursuing a Master's degree in Civil Engineering, Jeremy was in his Advanced Hydrology class in Norris Hall when a fellow student, Seung-Hui Cho, embarked on a shooting rampage that would become one of the deadliest in U.S. history. Jeremy, along with his professor and eight classmates, were among the 32 people killed by the gunman before he took his own life.
Originally from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, Jeremy was a bright and ambitious individual with a passion for the outdoors and a dedication to his studies. He had earned two undergraduate degrees from Penn State University in biochemistry and molecular biology, and civil engineering. His family remembers him as a kind and helpful person who enjoyed running, kayaking, and working on his family's farm. He was known for his wit and sense of humor, and for his willingness to lend a hand to anyone in need. The morning of the tragedy, his parents were in Boston, supporting his sister as she ran in the Boston Marathon, a race Jeremy had helped her train for.
The perpetrator of the massacre was identified as Seung-Hui Cho, a 23-year-old senior at Virginia Tech. Armed with two pistols, Cho carried out the attacks in two separate locations on campus. As Cho died by suicide at the scene, there was no arrest or trial. The incident sparked a national debate on gun violence and campus safety, leaving a lasting scar on the Virginia Tech community and all those who lost loved ones. In the wake of the tragedy, Jeremy's family and friends established a memorial fund and a 5K run in his honor to celebrate his life and passion for running.
