Story Behind Famous Virgina Tech Massacre Photo

Kevin Sterne's story of resilience and recovery began with his rescue — a harrowing moment captured on camera by Roanoke Times photographer Alan Kim. The paper had sent Kim to campus after receiving reports of a shooting, he told News Photographer magazine. He set up a camera with a 500mm lens about 200 yards away from Norris Hall, where Sterne was shot, and clicked away as four police officers carried the 22-year-old student to safety. The dramatic photo was seen around the world and anchored the front page of the next day's Roanoke Times. Kim, who no longer works in journalism, declined to discuss the iconic photo with The Post — only to say that he was certain Sterne was alive when he took it. In one of the only two interviews he's given about that day, Kim told News Photographer that he didn't understand the severity of the situation at Tech until after he'd submitted his photos. "It wasn't until several hours later that the scope of the tragedy was revealed."