I was deeply shocked when I heard about this news last night. A gunman has taken the lives of 32 people in a horrendous attack on a University Campus in Virginia that lasted over two hours. The attack occurred between 7 and 9am yesterday morning at Virginia Tech, in what has become the deadliest shooting in US history. President Bush has said he was "shocked and saddened" by the news, and that he was praying for the families of those who have lost loved ones. Britain's Queen Elizabeth has also expressed her grief at the news, who is planning to visit the state in May to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. But through all this carnage, come stories of bravery and courage, of people willing to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of others. One such person was an Israeli Professor, who threw himself in front of the gunman to save the lives of his pupils.

Quote: "Professor Liviu Librescu threw himself in front of the shooter, who had attempted to enter his classroom. The Israeli mechanics and engineering lecturer was shot to death, but all the students "lived - because of him," Asael Arad, an Israeli Virginia Tech student told Army Radio. Librescu's wife, Marlena, told the NRG Web site that her husband had loved his job with "all his heart and his soul."

I couldn't help thinking about this, and wondering what goes through the mind of someone who is willing to take the lives of others in such a horrendous incident. It is not believed the attack was terrorist related. My thoughts go to the Columbine massacre, and the fact that yesterday's attack came on Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Columbine massacre came on the 110th anniversary of Hitler's birthday. The Columbine massacre was carried out by individuals who were into neo-Nazism. Rachel Scott was killed by the gunman for professing her faith in Jesus Christ. I also couldn't help thinking about the horrific violence portrayed in games and movies now, and that perhaps the gunman may have been influenced by that. Whatever the cause, it shows us how depraved mankind has become, and makes me thankful that God will ultimately judge this world in righteousness by that Man that He has ordained.

Acts 17:30-31
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by [that] man whom he hath ordained; [whereof] he hath given assurance unto all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Source Sun, Blayney, Jerusalem Post