Wayne Chiang, cool dude

I just got off the phone with Wayne Chiang, the guy who had been accused (incorrectly, obviously) of being the Virginia Tech shooter.

What a great guy. Honestly. On the phone he’s exactly the opposite of what you’d expect from seeing his LiveJournal site – lighthearted, friendly, cool.

Anyway, because I’m going to be quoting him in a story for the Times I won’t say any more now. But Wayne — and every Hokie, honestly — gets a big thumbs up.

I will share one exchange, though.

Me: So, are you a gun nut?

Wayne, laughing: I think the politically correct term is “shooting enthusiast.” But I won’t fight the stereotype. I am a gun nut. I don’t apologize for it.

(For the record, he collects higher-end guns — ones used for sport and target shooting, not mowing down random people.)