They died in Virginia, but the loss of 32 people in Monday's school shooting is being felt around the world.
In India and Israel, families mourned the deaths of two longtime professors at the school. Indian-born G.V. Loganathan, who lectured for Virginia Tech's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was one of those struck down by the gunman according to his brother G.V. Palanivel.
Born in Chennai, India, the 51-year-old professor had been teaching at the school for 25 years. His wife identified the body.
"We all feel like we have had an electric shock, we do not know what to do," Palanivel said. "He has been a driving force for all of us, the guiding force."
There was word an Indian student was missing following the shooting and consular officials were planning on visiting the school Tuesday.
Another educator at the school, 75-year-old Liviu Librescu, fell victim in the attacks.
Librescu, who moved to Virginia in 1985 after immigrating to Israel from Romania, apparently tried to keep his students protected by blocking the door. Standing in that vulnerable position is apparently what got him shot.
"My father blocked the doorway with his body and asked the students to flee," his son Joe Librescu said in an interview from Tel Aviv. "Students started opening windows and jumping out."
The senior Librescu originally went to Virginia for his sabbatical, but ended up staying there.
In Canada, the violence at Virginia Tech was a solemn reminder of previous school shootings that have occurred in this country, including last September's fatal attack at Montreal's Dawson College.
One student died and 20 others were wounded when Kimveer Gill went on a shooting spree. And the town of Taber, Alberta still lives with the horrific memory of the death of a 17-year-old boy killed by an angry youth.
Countries including England and Australia expressed their sorrow for the tremendous loss, but also pointed fingers at the U.S. gun culture as a contributing factor.
"The Queen was shocked and saddened to hear of the news of the shooting in Virginia," read a statement from Buckingham Palace in London. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, scheduled to visit Virginia in May, criticized American gun control laws.
That sentiment was echoed by Australian Prime Minister John Howard.
"You can never guarantee these things won't happen again in our country," Howard admitted.
"We had a terrible incident at Port Arthur, but it is the case that 11 years ago we took action to limit the availability of guns and we showed a national resolve that the gun culture that is such a negative in the United States would never become a negative in our country."
In India, people responding to the news said greater protection and stricter gun legislation was necessary.