A FORMER Lepton man today revealed how he narrowly missed America's largest massacre.

Assistant professor David Hicks is based at Virginia Tech University - but was working at home on the day a gunman killed 32 people.

And the former King James's School pupil spoke of the "total devastation" as more details of the tragedy unfolded.

Speaking exclusively to the Examiner from his home in Blacksburg in the Blue Ridge Mountains, just a mile from the university, Mr Hicks, 39, sounding understandably shaken, said: "It's a very small town and everyone knows everyone else.

"We're just trying to work out the chain of events. It's tragic."

Mr Hicks, whose parents, Terry and Pat live in Lepton, said he had received a call from a colleague at the university telling him the news.

"We didn't know at that stage how many were dead or who they were.

"I've contacted all my students and some colleagues to make sure they're safe. But we're still waiting to get all the names of people killed," he said.

Mr Hicks said counselling sessions had already started to support students and staff and the university had closed as a mark of respect.

His parents have also spoken of their relief after Mr Hicks phoned to say he was safe and well.

Dad Terry said: "He had been working at home because he had just attended a conference in Chicago.

"He travels a lot and is due to go to Kenya next week.

"David gave us a quick call and we were extremely relieved to hear he was safe."

David Hicks grew up in Longden Avenue at Lepton and went to Lepton C of E and Middle schools before King James's at Almondbury.

He was awarded an honours degree in social history from Lancaster University and then a graduate certificate of education at Leeds University.

He went to the USA to continue his studies and met and married his wife Megan. They have three children, Connor, 10, Sophie, seven and Evan five. They moved to Virginia in 1995 and after working at the Roanoke Museum, Mr Hicks became a student teacher at Radford University.

He then gained a PhD and joined the teaching staff at Virginia Tech, where he is now assistant professor of history and social science. He added. "It's a media circus here. No-one can believe it's happened."

His parents visited him and his family in Virginia last year and he is hoping to travel to England with his family this summer to celebrate his 40th birthday.

As police continued their investigations into the tragedy the first details of the victims emerged and families across the country mourned the dead.

Grieving relatives, friends and survivors were told yesterday their loved ones did nothing to deserve their fate by President George Bush as he addressed a memorial service.

Mr Bush, who attended the service at the university yesterday, said the victims were "simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and left behind a "grieving nation".