The Roanoke Times

Printed Dec. 25, 2000

John Collins had been in the Backstreet Cafe since the shootings, but not to that corner of the bar.

The corner where he was sitting when he was shot and his friend Danny Overstreet lost his life.

It was just too much.

As it was, he rarely turned his back on the door the gunman walked through just before shooting seven people.

But when the slow music began, to signal the program commemorating Overstreet and the other victims, Kathy Caldwell felt compelled to go over there, so Collins went with her.

"To be with Danny," Caldwell tearfully said as she made her way through the crowd.

Both victims of the October shootings, Collins' and Caldwell's emotions seesawed throughout the evening.

They were there for a gathering to show support for the victims. Friday night marked three months since the shootings.

Early totals showed about $350 was raised to help pay the victims' mounting medical bills, according to bar manager Alan Blankenship.

"It's overwhelming to see all these people," Collins said of the roughly 200 people who showed up to give them support.

The reason for the gathering still lingers with them. Collins just recently got rid of his colostomy bag. Caldwell's hand that was shot still doesn't work. Page Webb, who was shot in the head, can't feel part of her face and constantly deals with pain.

People came up to them throughout the night, hugging them and shaking their hands.

Four phone calls from across the country came into the bar. The callers said their hearts were with the victims.

Another call also came in earlier in the night. The caller voiced support for Ronald Gay, the man charged with the crime.

Roanoke police Lt. Tim Jones, who was outside the bar making sure everything went smoothly, said the call was probably just a hoax.

Police kept an eye on the bar to"make sure that whoever might want to spoil the party won't," Jones said.

And the party wasn't interrupted.

Early in the night, three drag queens paraded through the crowd. The current Ms. Roanoke, Diondra D. People, stuffed dollar bills -- which ended up in the donation jar -- into her outfit.

"I wanted to do this for my family," said Savannah Savage, known as Thomas Lane when not wearing a dress. "These are my friends."

At 11:51, the moment shots filled the bar three months ago, the Rev. Catherine Houchins, pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of the Blue Ridge, led the crowd in a moment of silence.

"Nothing can kill our spirit," Houchins said afterward. "Roanoke is still a good place to be."

Then the group sang "We Shall Overcome" but changed "shall" to "have."

Sam Cox, who has been coming to the bar for almost 20 years, said the Backstreet isn't about being gay or straight.

"These are good people. It's not about sexuality," Cox said. "These are just good people."

Zeke Barlow can be reached at 981-3349 or zekeb@roanoke.com

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