RICHMOND (ABP)—At least seven of the 32 dead in the April 16 massacre at Virginia Tech had ties to Baptist churches in Virginia, Baptist leaders in the state said.
Here is what is known about the six with Baptist ties, based in part on reporting by MSNBC:
• Brian Bluhm, 25, was active in the Baptist collegiate ministries at Virginia Tech and attended Blacksburg Baptist Church, adjacent to the campus. Bluhm, who received a degree in civil engineering, was preparing to defend his graduate thesis about water resources. Bluhm's parents moved to Winchester while he was in school, so Blacksburg became his real home, said Bluhm's close friend Michael Marshall of Richmond.
Bluhm was an ardent fan of the Detroit Tigers baseball team, and also loved Virginia Tech's Hokies football team. But Marshall said it was Bluhm's faith and work with the Baptist college ministry that his friend loved most. “Brian was a Christian, and first and foremost, that's what he would want to be remembered as,” he said.
• Austin Cloyd, 18, was a freshman majoring in international studies and French. Cloyd, who attended Blacksburg Baptist Church, moved with her family from Champaign, Ill., to Blacksburg in 2005 when her father took a job in the accounting department at Virginia Tech.
Before moving, the Cloyds were active in First United Methodist Church in Champaign, Pastor Terry Harter said. Cloyd was so inspired by an Appalachian service project to help rehabilitate homes that she and her mother started a similar program in their native Illinois town, her former pastor said.
The Methodist pastor, whose Illinois church held a prayer service for the family, described Cloyd as a “very delightful, intelligent, warm young lady” and an athlete who played basketball and volleyball in high school. But it was the mission trips to Appalachia that showed just how caring and faithful she was, he said.
“It made an important impact on her life. That's the kind of person she was,” he said.
• Caitlin Hammaren, 19, also attended Blacksburg Baptist Church. She was a sophomore majoring in international studies and French, according to officials at her former school district in Westtown, N.Y.
“She was just one of the most outstanding young individuals that I've had the privilege of working with in my 31 years as an educator,” said John Latini, principal of Minisink Valley High School, where she graduated in 2005. “Caitlin was a leader among our students.”
• Rachael Hill, 18, of Richmond was a freshman studying biology. She graduated from Grove Avenue Christian School, which is affiliated with Grove Avenue Baptist Church in Richmond. Hill, an only child, was popular, had a penchant for shoes and was competitive on the volleyball court.
“Rachael was a very bright, articulate, intelligent, beautiful, confident, poised young woman. She had a tremendous future in front of her,” said Clay Fogler, administrator for the Grove Avenue school. “Obviously, the Lord had other plans for her.”
• Jarrett Lane, 22, was an active member of First Baptist Church of Narrows. Although a rumor circulated on the internet that Lane accepted Christ the Sunday before he died, his pastor, Tim Cline, asked the Religious Herald to help dispel that misconception. Cline reports that Lane did come forward during the invitation that morning to offer thanks to God for answered prayer in his life.
“Jarrett was an incredible, incredible young man and hearing people speak at hs service about his influence on them was eye-opening. He comes from an unbelievable strong Christian family. His mother spoke in our church Sunday morning to thank the people for everything they have done.”
Lane was a senior majoring in civil engineering who was valedictorian of his high school class and played the trombone, ran track and played football and basketball at Narrows High School.
• Lauren McCain, 20, an active member of Restoration Church-Phoebus Baptist in Hampton, was a freshman majoring in international studies.
McCain was someone whose love for Christ was evident “just by looking at her,” said her pastor, Leonard Riley.
• Nicole White, 20, of Carroll-ton, was a junior majoring in international studies and German. White, a member of Nansemond River Baptist Church in Suffolk, graduated from Smithfield High School in 2004, according to the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk. White worked at a YMCA as a lifeguard and was an honor student in high school, the newspaper reported.