Hi, I Survived listeners. I'm Marissa Pinson. And before we get into this week's episode,

I just want to remind you that episodes of I Survived as well as the A&E Classic podcast's

Cold Case Files, City Confidential, and American Justice are all available ad-free on the new

A&E Crime and Investigation Channel on Apple Podcasts and Apple Plus for just $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year. And now onto the show.

This episode contains subject matter that may be disturbing to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

I was looking down the barrel of his gun. And at that point, we made eye contact. And that was probably one of the scariest moments in my life.

Real people. I couldn't get my seatbelt to release and then all of a sudden the bus shifted a little

more and then I got scared. I got really, really scared. Who faced death? Bang, bang, bang and then all of

a sudden one of those bangs hits you. Move with the force of the bullets, just act like a rag doll, and just hopefully he'll go away.

And live to tell how.

You go into almost as good versus evil mode.

You have to prevail.

You have to either shut that door again or you don't survive.

This is I Survived.

It's April 2007 in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Ishwar, a professor at Virginia Tech University, arrives at his Norris Hall office.

I came into work at about 8 o'clock or so, or slightly before, as is my norm, and started

working on a proposal I was writing.

And while I was working on that proposal, there was a call that came in that there had been a double homicide on campus.

Two students had been shot in a dormitory on campus.

It was quite startling because to have a homicide on the university campus is very unusual.

My staff and I talked about this, we were shocked, but we felt that it was

...