Virginia Tech students began a day of mourning Wednesday on the campus, one year after the most deadly shooting spree in modern US history left 32 people dead.

More than a thousand people gathered at midnight on the campus’ lawn, and the sobs that could be heard revealed a community who still hasn’t still recovered from the shocking massacre. A candle lit on the campus will burn for 24 hours in the memory of the massacre’s victims.

State governor Timothy Kaine has ordered state flags to be flown at half-mast.

"As I think about the families, I am at a loss for words to express what is in my heart. The courage and strength they have shown in the face of such tremendous, tragic loss is awe-inspiring," he said in a statement released Wednesday.

Some of the students, including the survivors on April 16, considered the community had to move on instead of remembering the terrible day.

Several families of the victims announced they would not be present at the mourning, as they preferred to have private ceremonies at their homes.

Bryan Cloyd, whose daughter has been murdered, said he planned with his wife Renee to plant an oak tree in the memory of the girl’s life. They are trying to move forward and not reflect too much at the painful event.

"I won't be able to walk my daughter down the aisle at her wedding. I won't be able to bounce her children on my knee," he said softly. "And I don't think it's helpful to dwell on that, because where that leads is just more sadness. I think what's helpful to do is to dwell on what can be. What can we do with what we have?" Cloyd said, according to the Associated Press.

Just days before commemorating the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre, most families of those involved in the shootings have agreed to an $11 million settlement for agreeing not to sue the state.

On April 16, 2007, Ceung-Hui Cho, a mentally disturbed student, killed 32 victims, including twenty-seven students and five staff members, and wounded two dozen others at Virginia Tech, before committing suicide.