21 Gun Salute for One Virginia Tech Casualty

Friday April 20, 2007 4:52pm   Reporter: Ali Lanyon   Posted By: Kay Smith

New Bloomfield -
A Perry County military school said goodbye to a graduate who died in the Virginia Tech shootings.  Carson Long Military Institute in New Bloomfield had a memorial service for Matthew LaPorte Friday afternoon.  

Hundreds gathered in the chapel at Carson Long Military Institute to pay their last respects.  LaPorte graduated from Carson Long last year.  Half of Matt's graduating class traveled to Carson Long to honor LaPorte.  Friends say he was shy, but focused. 

According to reports LaPorte acted as a hero during the Virginia Tech Shooting.  LaPorte ran towards the shooter hoping to save his classmates.  Matt's former teacher at Carson Long, Lt. Garry Hallman, was proud to hear about LaPorte's actions in his final moments.  

"We had the fortune of knowing him as a boy.  The world has the fortune of knowing him as a man, says Lt. Hallman.  "It is our hope that everyone just remembers what he wanted out of life was to help other people.  As it turned out he did just that.  So, we are all very touched."

LaPorte went to Virginia Tech on a scholarship.