Local

Central Fla. woman, mother of VA Tech shooting victim reacts to Conn. shooting

SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. — The deadly shooting rampage at a Connecticut elementary school Friday hit close to home for a Central Florida woman.

Suzanne Grimes' son was shot in the massacre at Virginia Tech University.

She said she prays the families involved in Friday's shooting find the support and resolve to carry on.

"It's heartbreaking. It's almost like it's unreal that it's happening again," said Grimes.

Her son, Kevin Sterne, was at class at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007 when Seung-Hui Cho, a senior English major, went on a shooting rampage. 32 people were killed and 17 others wounded during two separate attacks on campus.

"They take their own lives so you don't have that opportunity to ask them 'Why did you do this?'" Grimes said.

Suzanne has pictures of the day of the shooting, including one showing the blood-stained sidewalk where paramedics treated her son. She said it took hours for her to find out he survived.

"It took me five hours that day to try and find him alive and I've very grateful for that," Grimes said.

Her son suffered nerve damage and still has a bullet lodged in his leg, but has moved on with his life.

Suzanne said she prays the families of the victims in Friday's shooting will one day be able to do the same.

"There's nothing I can do to help ease their pain right now. I can only pray that they'll get through it," said Grimes.

Suzanne's son still lives in Blacksburg, Va. after finishing school to get his masters degree.

The Virginia Tech massacre was the only other school shooting in U.S. history that claimed more victims than Friday's shooting in Connecticut.