Colin Goddard's life changed forever inside a Norris Hall classroom.
Goddard returned to the Virginia Tech building where he was shot four times to recount that fateful day for a camera crew.
"It's crazy being back here," Goddard says in the documentary "Living for 32," which follows his life from shooting victim to gun-law reformer.
It was his first time back to Norris Hall since it was renovated as the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention. He talks about his wounds — first in the left knee, next his left hip, then his right shoulder and last in his right hip. He was shot during French class.
In the nearly 45-minute film, Goddard reflects on the chaos of April 16, 2007 — the day 32 Virginia Tech students and faculty members were killed by Seung-Hui Cho — and his efforts to change state and federal gun laws.
"The film tries to bring awareness to the larger group of victims out there," said Goddard, whose family lives in the Richmond area. "I'm fortunate enough to be here to speak a message … and try to change that cycle of violence, that culture of violence."
The documentary was screened in downtown Richmond on Monday afternoon on the same day that the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was celebrated.
The civil-rights icon and nonviolence proponent's message is one that those directly affected by the Virginia Tech shootings want to continue spreading.
"In light of Dr. King's effort and all his passion for his advocacy, we're out here celebrating that and keeping his message of nonviolence," said Omar Samaha, whose sister Reema Samaha was killed in Norris Hall. "We're out here trying to show what we can do to prevent violence in the future."
Nearly 100 people — including religious leaders and members of the National Rifle Association and organizations seeking to end gun violence — packed the gymnasium as the downtown YWCA for the screening.
Goddard's father, Andrew Goddard, said the film started out as a five-minute public service announcement on gun violence, but producers recorded enough footage for a longer documentary. It is scheduled to be shown Saturday through the following Thursday at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
Teenagers with Norfolk-based Youth Outreach Urban Resources and Services also attended the screening. Girls group leader Sade Cole said she hopes the youths learn from the documentary that problems aren't solved by violence.
The documentary features hidden-camera clips showing the ease with which firearms can be purchased at gun shows. Samaha, who is interviewed in the documentary, said they have the chance to make change in America.
"If we don't take that opportunity, I feel like we've just allowed the cycle of violence to continue," he said.
jslayton@timesdispatch.com
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