Terrorist victims were "most beloved" and "shining star"

Officials of the Synchronicity Foundation provided details today on the deaths of two Nelson County residents killed in the terrorist attacks in India.

Alan Scherr, 58, and his daughter, Naomi Scherr, 13, were with a group from the spiritual organization staying at the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai when it was attacked Wednesday night.

The two lived at the foundation, which promotes a high-tech form of meditation, in Nelson about 15 miles southwest of Charlottesville.

Meanwhile today, a team of FBI agents was ordered to fly to India to investigate the militants who killed a total of four Americans and injured at least two others during the wave of assaults that ripped through a commercial center of Mumbai.

The investigators aim to learn more about the origins of the militants who carried out the lethal strikes on luxury hotels, a train station and an Orthodox Jewish center where a New York rabbi and his wife were among five hostages slain. About 150 people have been killed in the coordinated attacks.

Bobbie Garvey, Synchronicity's vice president, said she told Scherr's wife, Kia, today at 5 a.m. that her husband and daughter were dead. "It's better than coming from the State Department," she said. "I'm sure on some level, she knew, as we all did."

Kia Scherr remained with family members in Florida.

"He was an extremely valued member of Sychronicity," Garvey said of Scherr, formerly a professor at the University of Maryland, who was a spokesman for the group and edited its books.

"Alan was probably one of the most beloved persons here. He will be greatly missed," Garvey said.

Scherr came to the organization when his daughter was just two months old, Garvey said. Naomi was home-schooled, finished the eighth grade a year early and had planned to apply to the Emma Williard Academy in Troy, N.Y., to attend high school.

"She was a shining star, absolutely brilliant," and sociable, Garvey said.

In India, Naomi had been working on an essay to accompany her application to the boarding school and was enjoying her pilgrimage, Garvey said.

The victims were among a group of 16 Americans, four Canadians and five Australians in Mumbai on a spiritual pilgrimage to India that began Nov. 14. They were due back Monday.

Other Synchronicity members in Faber in Nelson County found out what was happening from the Internet "and saw Mumbai was being bombed and then saw the Oberoi was being bombed," Garvey said.

"They were in the middle of it."

Another member who was hospitalized reported Scherr had been shot in the head. Members did not know what had happened to Naomi, although she was found near her father, Garvey said.

Garvey said she immediately called Synchronicity's contacts in Mumbai.

Synchronicity's spiritual leader, Master John Cannon, had finished a program about 10 p.m. and the group returned to the hotel. Several were hungry and stopped for a snack in the Oberoi's café, Garvey said.

In addition to Scherr and his daughter, four others were in the café when gunmen entered "and just started shooting," Garvey said.

One was shot three times, underwent surgery and still has a bullet lodged in the abdomen. Two others, both women, are from Tennessee. One was wounded in the arm and leg and underwent surgery, Garvey said. The other was shot in the back "and is ready to go back to Tennessee," she said.

The fourth survivor was grazed and treated and released.

The rest of the members were told to stay in their rooms, where they remained for 45 hours without food. At one point, they broke windows to let in fresh air and let out smoke, and hid behind mattresses and bureaus. "It was that intense," she said.

The remaining members were released from the hotel about 5 a.m. today, and one identified Scherr and his daughter.

Not all are ready to return to their home countries so soon after their ordeal, Garvey said.

"It's like, how could this happen to us, these wonderful people who were on a pilgrimage, and not come back," she said.

Their spiritual faith holds that nothing in life is an accident. Life "is all one energy, with many diversities in the energy," Garvey said.

Scott Marshall is editor of The Nelson County Times.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.