Virginia State Police held the first of three meetings today with victims and families of victims of the mass shootings at Virginia Tech last year.

The meeting at State Police headquarters near Richmond will be followed by two more: one near Chantilly on Saturday for the convenience of the families who live in Northern Virginia or in other states, and another on Sunday in the Richmond area.

Thirty-two people were shot and killed by gunman Seung-Hui Cho on April 16, 2007, and about two dozen others were wounded or injured before he killed himself.

The meetings were promised as part of an $11 million settlement with the families.

Police have promised to answer families' questions about the investigation and how they handled securing the campus. The meetings are tentatively scheduled to last two hours but could go longer.

Tech officials and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine also plan to meet with the families by the end of the year.

As part of the settlement, Tech has promised to create a public archive about April 16, 2007.

-- David Ress