Ten years ago this week, Seung-Hui Cho killed 33 people on Virginia Tech’s campus in what was then the largest mass shooting in American history. Over the last few months, on assignment for Washingtonian, I spent many hours with the families of those killed and wounded. They’re all still grieving intensely, but the community that formed immediately after the tragedy has gone in many different directions – some turning to passionate gun-safety advocacy, others signing up for the NRA, some retreating into privacy. Here’s their story.

As a reporter, I’ve set traps with fishermen in Finland, attended nudist parties, and been called a “vehicle of Satan” from the pulpit. I’ve profiled world-champion boxers, swindlers, drag kings, and lgbtq+ refugees. here are some of the highlights.