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Vigil held for slain Va. Tech police officer
Friends and family members of slain Virginia Tech police Officer Deriek Crouse at the vigil held on campus, by students of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., Dec. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Don Petersen)
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Thousands at Virginia Tech are remembering slain campus police officer Deriek Crouse and showing support for his family.
The community gathered at the Drillfield Friday night for a candlelight vigil that included a moment of silence for Crouse, who was shot to death on campus on Thursday by a student who later took his own life.
Va. Tech shooter was student at nearby college
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Crouse was a married father of five children and stepchildren who joined the campus police force in October 2007. He previously worked at a jail and for the Montgomery County sheriff's department and served in the Army Reserve.
Some students say they came to express their appreciation for Crouse's sacrifice. One university professor urged the community to show compassion and empathy to others.
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