Today is September 29th. It was a beautiful day two years ago, both here and in the central Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. That day my vivacious daughter Lizzy decided to do what many other do: relax and study at an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. She had no idea that 12 days earlier a deranged, angry man bent on his version of revenge had stolen a car and loaded gun and that their paths would cross. That day her life ended, and my life changed forever.
It didn’t have to happen. The owner of the stolen property didn’t report either item stolen. The “angry man” was found by law enforcement authorities just 36 hours after they received the information needed. The “angry man” is dead. My daughter and way over a handful of other people are dead too. All at the hand of the “angry man.” But what has happened to the “owner of the property stolen but never reported,” the gun that started all this death? Nothing has happened to “the owner.”
You may ask, “But what could he have done?” I will give you an idea. “The owner” knew the “angry man.” The “owner” and the “angry man” shared living arrangements for at least 3 weeks prior to the theft. The “owner” was well aware of the “angry man.” The “owner” should have, if he had any decency, immediately reported the thefts. What else does one do with a stolen loaded weapon and a stolen car?
So now I am left to forever mourn my beautiful daughter, who had graduated the previous spring from the University with a double major and had just started graduate school in the Curry School of Education. All because the “angry man” wanted her car.
Joanne Hafter
Read More
LETTER: Misunderstanding the Honor Committee’s mental health procedures
By Seamus Oliver and Alexander Church | March 15, 2024We recognize that the Honor process can be stressful and that any student may benefit from support, regardless of an underlying health condition.
LETTER: Mischaracterizing a tangled war
By Michael Liebermann | February 2, 2024We should not address this war with blind idealism. We should address it, instead, with nuance and care.
P.U.M.P.K.I.N. SOCIETY: Happy Halloween 2023
By P.U.M.P.K.I.N. Society | October 31, 2023The P.U.M.P.K.I.N. Society Recognizes Individuals Who Enrich The University Community Through Their Silent And Selfless Service.
