LiveBlog: George Mason Students Send Their Sympathies to VT.

It has been a long day. As any of the BroadsideOnline Blog's readers may have noticed we have been following the VT shootout stories very closely, with accurate, up-to-the-minute coverage. I personally have read and watched what must be hundreds of various reports on the subject, ranging from total conjecture to VT Officials' press conferences. Though you, dear reader, may not have been aware, this blog has had very up to date and accurate coverage. We broke a full write up of the story quickly and efficiently. We had a more up to date count of injured and dead then when the New York Times went to the digital presses. We've hunted down and brought to your attention the few theories and questions that turned out to be true. While this day has been filled by tragedy, we at Broadside have fuffiled our duty to our readership and our community with everyone here in the office putting in their full effort to ensure that Mason's students were kept up to date. I'd like to take a quick moment here to thank Broadside's staff for their steady hands during a shocking and harrowing day.

All in all it has been a lot. It has been exhausting but, when we see the reaction of Mason students, ultimately satisfying. One of the most heartening things we've been able to report has been the outpouring of support for the VT community from all over the nation, and especially from the George Mason Community. Officials have been organizing group meetings all through this evening. A number of campus and student officials have come forward to comment and send their condolences to VT, students have brought their voices to the fore. In a day filled with keeping death counts up to date and trying to insure that we know the most about the young Asian male who killed 32 today before finally turning his gun on himself, my ability to report the vast care we as Mason students have felt towards our VT compatriots is almost a relief.

Therefore it is only fitting that we end the day's blog coverage with a live blog covering the midnight Candle Light Vigil being held next to the JC. I will be updating this blog post constantly with new content and giving you readers complete coverage of the event, and the emotional heart of this campus.

[Edited for clarity.]

Posts will go up at most every few minutes. So keep refreshing to keep up to date.

11:47PM: I've arrived with a number of Broadside staff here in front of the clocktower, already, 15 minutes before the event, a large crowd has gathered. Students of all types, ages, and dress, are gathering in front of the stage erected here for the event. Lit only by the glow of the clock tower they are talking in hushed tones, gathering against the cold and the wind in clusters, while more people arrive any minute.

11:50PM: Three Mason police cars have arrived, presumably to provide security for the event

11:52PM: President Alan Merten has just arrived. A number of people have talked to our Broadside reporters:

"I'm here to support the students of Virginia Tech and their families and friends who go to Mason, I'm also here to support collage students in general so this doesn't happen again," said sophomore Gerry Moore.

11:58: Merten takes the stage to talk to the gathered students.
"Keep the people of Virginia Tech in your thoughts and in your prayers," said Merten.