It could have happened here.

It could have been Penn State students barricading classroom doors and fighting for their lives and the lives of their classmates.

It could have been Penn State professors making the ultimate sacrifice so that their students could have a few moments to escape.

It could have been Penn State police and emergency responders reacting to the deadliest shooting tragedy in American history.

But it wasn't Penn State.

It was Virginia Tech where a gunman coldly took the lives of more than 30 students and professors in the morning hours of April 16.

And while students at Penn State will never understand exactly what Virginia Tech students are going through, the Penn State community is deeply mourning these senseless deaths along with the Hokie nation.

There are, however, many in the Penn State family who can truly empathize with your loss.

More than 10 years ago, in the fall of 1996, Penn State experienced a similar tragedy, though admittedly on a much smaller scale.

Penn State student Melanie Spalla died on the university campus when another student loaded and fired a high-power rifle from a hidden spot near the HUB lawn, killing Spalla and injuring another student.

In this case, Penn State mourned one student who lost her life as a result of senseless violence.

Virginia Tech, you've lost so much: students, professors, innocence.

Recovery must seem so far away.

But the Hokies have the support of millions of college students and their universities across the world.

We want you to know we share your grief and we agonize over this incident with you.

We share your school spirit, your pride and your commitment to bettering the world and the lives of the people in it.

Virginia Tech is a school with an honorable history, and, while we will never forget the 32 lives that were lost, your exceptional university will be known for so much more.

It could have been Penn State, or so many other universities that the nation is mourning right now.

Unfortunately, it was Virginia Tech, but we hope you know right now you have the largest fan base in the country, for we are all Hokies today.