Virginia Tech shootings

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Virginia mourns massacre victims
The US state of Virginia is observing a day of mourning for the victims of Monday's gun rampage at Virginia Tech university in which 33 people died.
A moment of silence was held in the state at noon local time (1600 GMT), and vigils and prayers have been organised across the country.

Meanwhile police are said to be making "great progress" in determining why gunman Cho Seung-hui did the killings.

Also, an independent panel will examine how authorities reacted to the crisis.

The six-member team includes former homeland security chief Tom Ridge.

Officials have been accused of ignoring signs that Cho, who had been identified as mentally ill, was a danger.

Orange and maroon

Students, staff and visitors observed a moment's silence in the Drill Field, in the university grounds, and bells rang out in honour of the victims.





Many donned the university's orange and maroon colours for the ceremony.

Many mourners wrote messages on special boards at a makeshift memorial in the university grounds, and some visitors cried on reading them.

A similar ceremony was being held in the state capital Richmond, attended by state governor Timothy Kaine.

The memorial day coincides with the eighth anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado, in which 13 people died along with the two killers.

Colorado's governor Bill Ritter asked state residents to join in the silence for the Virginia Tech victims.

The first Virginia funeral ceremonies, for two international students among the dead, were held on Thursday.

Egyptian Waleed Mohammed Shaalan and Indonesian Partahi Lumbantoruan, both doctoral civil engineering students, will also have funeral ceremonies in their home countries.

On Friday, family members gathered in Israel for the funeral of mathematics professor Liviu Librescu.

Difficult questions





Two people were killed at the West Ambler Johnston Hall, a university dormitory, at 0715 on Monday.

Two hours later Cho killed 30 students and teachers, plus himself, at the Norris Hall complex across campus.

Questions are being asked about the response to the first shootings and whether putting the campus on a full lockdown earlier could have saved lives.

Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller told the Associated Press news agency investigators were "making some really great progress" in determining how and why the killings happened.

They hoped to have something to tell the public next week, she said.


In conjunction with the police investigation, a panel, led by former Virginia police chief Gerald Massengill and including security and education officials and a psychiatrist, will study what mental health treatment Cho received and if more could have been done to avert Monday's violence.

Police have already revealed that Cho, who moved to the US with his family from South Korea in 1992, was admitted to a mental health unit in late 2005.

In the aftermath of the shootings, teachers and fellow students have spoken of Cho's extreme moods, violent writings and unpredictable behaviour.

In the two-hour lull between killings, Cho sent a package to US network NBC containing 28 video clips 1,800 words of text and 43 photos, 11 of them showing Cho aiming handguns at the camera.

Police have criticised the decision by NBC to air the clips.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6577095.stm

Published: 2007/04/20 16:33:27 GMT

© BBC MMVII

 

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Inquiry to probe Virginia killing
Virginia's governor, Tim Kaine, has appointed an independent panel to investigate Monday's gun rampage at Virginia Tech in which 33 people died.
The six-member team includes former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge.

The panel will study the treatment of gunman Cho Seung-hui in the period preceding the shootings, as well as events on the day itself.

Officials have been accused of ignoring signs that Cho, who had been identified as mentally ill, was a danger.

Eight students injured in the assault are still being treated at Montgomery Field Hospital, close to the university campus.


What were the warning signs? Who was warned? What was done?
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine


Seventeen people were treated for injuries after the shooting, with four undergoing major surgery.
Virginia Tech Provost Mark McNamee has announced that the 27 students that Cho killed will all receive posthumous degrees.

The first funeral ceremonies for those killed were held in Virginia on Thursday. Egyptian Waleed Mohammed Shaalan and Indonesian Partahi Lumbantoruan, both doctoral civil engineering students, will also have funeral ceremonies in their home countries.

On Friday, family members gathered in Israel for the funeral of mathematics professor Liviu Librescu.





Two people were killed at the West Ambler Johnston Hall, a university dormitory, at 0715 on Monday.

Two hours later Cho killed 30 students and teachers, plus himself, at the Norris Hall complex across campus.

Though police have not definitively linked Cho to both sets of shootings, they say the same gun was used at both locations.

Questions are being asked about the response to the first shootings and whether putting the campus on a full lockdown earlier could have saved lives.

Lesson to be learnt

Mr Kaine said the investigation would not seek to lay blame, but to ensure that such a tragedy could not happen again.

The panel, which will be led by former Virginia police chief Gerald Massengill and include security and education officials and a psychiatrist, will study what mental health treatment Cho received and if more could have been done to avert Monday's violence.

It will seek to discover "everything we know about the young man who was the perpetrator", Mr Kaine said.


"What were the warning signs? Who was warned? What was done?"
Police have already revealed that Cho, who moved to the US with his family from South Korea in 1992, was admitted to a mental health unit in late 2005.

He was sent for evaluation after two female students made complaints against him, they said.

The complaints by students against Cho were made in November and December 2005. Around the same time, Cho's English teachers raised concerns over his writing and general behaviour.

In the aftermath of the shootings, teachers and fellow students have spoken of Cho's extreme moods, violent writings and unpredictable behaviour.

Video controversy

In the two-hour lull between killings, Cho sent a package to US network NBC containing 28 video clips 1,800 words of text and 43 photos, 11 of them showing Cho aiming handguns at the camera.

Police have criticised the decision by NBC to air the clips.


"We're rather disappointed in the editorial decision to broadcast these disturbing images," police superintendent Colonel Steve Flaherty said.

Police said the videos - showing an angry Cho ranting and pointing guns at the camera - added little to their investigation.

NBC defended its decision to use Cho's videos, saying in a statement: "We have covered this story - and our unique role in it - with extreme sensitivity, underscored by our devoted efforts to remember and honour the victims and heroes of this tragic incident."

However, some relatives of those killed cancelled planned interviews with NBC, angry over the network's decision.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6574513.stm

Published: 2007/04/20 10:34:10 GMT

© BBC MMVII

 

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Campus killer's family 'so sorry'
Relatives of the student who committed a massacre at Virginia Tech university have described their shock and sorrow over his "horrible and senseless act".
Speaking for the first time since Cho Seung-hui killed 32 people and himself on Monday, the family said it had been "living a nightmare" since the attack.

The US state of Virginia has observed a day of mourning for the victims, with vigils organised across the country.

Police say they are making "great progress" in their investigation.

The massacre was the deadliest shooting rampage in modern US history.

'Excruciating grief'

In a statement Cho's sister, Cho Sun-Kyung, spoke of the family's pain following the massacre.

"Our family is so very sorry for my brother's unspeakable actions. It is a terrible tragedy for all of us," she said.

On behalf of her family Ms Cho, a 2004 Princeton University graduate who works as a contractor for the US state department, expressed grief for the friends and family of her brother's victims.


We never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence
Cho Sun-Kyung


"We pray for their families and loved ones who are experiencing so much excruciating grief. And we pray for those who were injured and for those whose lives are changed forever because of what they witnessed and experienced," she said.

"Each of these people had so much love, talent and gifts to offer, and their lives were cut short by a horrible and senseless act."

Ms Cho said the family felt helpless, lost and shocked by her brother's actions.

"We never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence," she said.

Cho, 23, moved to the US with his family from South Korea in 1992.

A six-member independent panel - including former homeland security chief Tom Ridge - will examine how authorities reacted to the crisis, amid claims officials ignored warning signs that Cho, who had been admitted to a mental health unit in late 2005, was a danger.

Victim memorials

A moment of silence was held in Virginia state at noon local time on Friday (1600 GMT), and vigils and prayers were organised across the country.

Students, staff and visitors observed a moment's silence in Virginia Tech's Drill Field and bells rang out in honour of the victims.


A similar ceremony was held in the state capital Richmond, attended by state governor Timothy Kaine.

The memorial day coincided with the eighth anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado, in which 13 people died along with the two killers.

Also on Friday, in Israel, family members gathered for the funeral of one of the massacre victims, mathematics professor Liviu Librescu.

Difficult questions

Cho's killing spree began at 0715 on Monday, when two people were killed at the West Ambler Johnston Hall, a university dormitory.

Two hours later Cho killed 30 students and teachers, plus himself, at the Norris Hall complex across campus.


Questions are being asked about the response to the first shootings and whether putting the campus on a full lockdown earlier could have saved lives.

Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller told the Associated Press news agency investigators hoped to have something to tell the public next week.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6578319.stm

Published: 2007/04/21 00:11:56 GMT

© BBC MMVII

 

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Cho fits pattern of campus killers
By Kathryn Westcott
BBC News


Cho Seung-hui was a deeply disturbed young man - as the shocking and horrifying video he left behind reveals.


But did he fit some kind of killer's profile? It appears that the 23-year-old's actions and intentions fell into a pattern of previous school and college shootings.
Robin Kowalski, a psychologist at Clemson University in South Carolina, has co-written a comprehensive study on school shootings. She told the BBC News website that Cho's actions bore strong similarities with other killings.

Like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold - perpetrators of the Columbine massacre - and Kimveer Gill, who went on a killing spree at a Canadian school last year, the foundation for Cho's violent act was laid out long before it took place.

And, like those killers, he left behind rage-filled testaments - Harris, Klebold and Kimveer via the internet, Cho via his video.

Cho even refers to the Columbine perpetrators as "martyrs" in his video, which bore similarities to images on Kimveer's own web page. On it, Kimveer is shown brandishing a gun and a hunting knife. Cho's own video also shows him with guns and a knife.

Common factors

"We distinguished five common factors in the shootings we studied," says Ms Kowalski. "The first is an acute rejection episode - such as a break up with a girlfriend - which usually takes place shortly before the killer acts."


It is not known at this stage whether Cho had experienced an acute rejection episode. But in his video, he makes it clear he believes there was an on-going history of rejection, another factor, according to Ms Kowalski.
"Teasing, bullying or other kinds of rejection were common elements in school shootings," she says.

In his video, Cho says: "You have vandalised my heart, raped my soul and tortured my conscience. You thought it was one pathetic more life you were extinguishing. Thanks to you, I die like Jesus Christ to inspire generations of the weak and the defenceless people."

He also labelled fellow students "brats" and "snobs".

A fascination with guns and explosives is another factor. Cho, it appears, had acquired weaponry over a period of time. The video also shows him dressed in a hunting vest, black baseball cap and gloves brandishing guns at the camera.

Psychological problems

Another factor is a pre-occupation with death. "They talk about it a lot and they think about it. Cho's plays appear to indicate a fascination with the subject," says Ms Kowalski.


In one of his plays, entitled Richard McBeef, the main character named John is alone in his room throwing darts at a target covered with a picture of his stepfather, the eponymous character. John says: "I hate him. Must kill Dick. Must kill Dick. Dick must die. Kill Dick."
Ms Kowalski also found that perpetrators had underlying psychological problems.

Cho had previously been accused of stalking two female students, and had been taken to a mental health facility in 2005. There were also concerns at the time that he was suicidal.

Steve Hinshaw, chair of the psychology department at the University of California Berkeley, told AFP news agency, that while it was impossible to accurately diagnose Cho from the brief set of video clips, his actions and words showed Cho could have been suffering from a severe case of grandiosity and possibly either bipolar depression or schizophrenia.

"He made a statement that he won't be put down and this must be shown in a self-destructive but self-promoting blaze of glory," he said.


Secret Service study

Ms Kowalski said that in many campus and school killings, the perpetrators planned their attacks some time in advance. Cho must have planned the attack more than a month ago, when he purchased his first gun. It appears that he began working on material for his video at least six days before the shootings:

"This guy was very methodical and very calculated," says Ms Kowalski. "He was very clear cut about what he wanted to do."

In 2002, the US Secret Service conducted a major study of 37 school shootings to learn the patterns of the school-aged assassins.


Most attacks, the report said, come from loners with some kind of grievance. It found that more than half had revenge as a motive.

It also found that such shooters do not snap - they plan and they usually tell a friend or a classmate before the attack.

It also found that in 75% of cases, at least one adult had raised concern about the attacker before the incident happened because of his behaviour.

Cho's creative writing was so disturbing that he was referred to the school's counselling service.

Dr Scott Poland, is a psychologist at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale and an expert on school killings.

"The focus right now is on trying to figure out why Cho did what he did - but even in school shootings where the perpetrators have survived, we have often been left with many unanswered questions," he told the BBC News website.

Methodical

According to the Secret Service, there is no accurate or useful "profile" of students who engaged in targeted school violence.


There are many students who are troubled and many who have a fascination with death, but it doesn't mean that they are going to kill people
Robin Kowalski, psychologist

It says that profiling students who may have traits similar to those of school shooters is not an effective remedy. Experts say that the concern with profiling is that it can include a high percentage of students that have similar characteristics.

"It will take the right set of personality characteristics in addition to certain environmental triggers to produce such events. There are many students who are troubled and many who have a fascination with death, but it doesn't mean that they are going to kill people," says Ms Kowalski.

Such attacks have a tremendous and lasting effect on the place that was targeted. In the aftermath, questions are inevitably asked about whether the authorities should have known that the attack was being planned, and could have been prevented.

"This young man was known to be different and unique and one of the issues at college campuses is whether or not we can mandate any kind of counselling," says Professor Poland.

"Do we, for example, have the leverage to make a student who is troubled come to the counselling service?

"We need to make sure that students know that the counselling service always has trained psychologists that can help them."

He added that he would like to see the focus shifted on to the needs of the surviving students and teachers.

"My experience is that the school often underestimates the long-term effect of the crisis. It is not unusual for there to be a lot of depression and suicides in the weeks and months after the tragedy."


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6567143.stm

Published: 2007/04/19 09:09:10 GMT

© BBC MMVII

 

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In pictures: Killer's chilling video

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6571075.stm

 

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'Police came out of nowhere'

Student's account

Arsalan Heydarian was in an English class at Virginia Tech when a gunman entered the next door building and started shooting. He described the experience to the BBC News website.
I was in class right next to Norris Hall. The only thing I heard was gun shots and the only thing I saw was armed cops. They came out of nowhere.

I saw a man with a machine gun. The cops pushed a guy on the ground and started searching him.

They told us to stay away from the windows.

Our teacher didn't make it. A friend called and said my other friend Heidi was in French class in Norris Hall. That's when I started really worrying.

I tried to contact my parents to let them know I was alright. I then found out Heidi was in the hospital.

She was shot three times in the leg while she was in class. She's just come out of surgery. She's going to be fine, but she's in a wheelchair.

'Didn't make it'

Two of my other friends didn't make it though. One died at 7.15am yesterday morning. His name was Ryan. He was going to graduate soon with three different degrees. He was one of Virginia Tech's best students. He was nice to everyone.


He was one of Virginia Tech's best students. He was nice to everyone.



I had a class at Norris Hall around 12 o'clock today, which, thank god, was cancelled. We are now all going to gather to hear what the president and the governor have to say.

I think it is insane, Virginia Tech is a great campus and in the past 28 years it hasn't had any problems like this.

A lot of my friends are going back home and their parents are coming here to pick them up.

I'm a freshman here at Virginia Tech, and this is definitely the year that I will never forget.



Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/talking_point/6564191.stm

Published: 2007/04/17 14:32:02 GMT

© BBC MMVII

 

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source bbc

you can visit bbc to read about the Virginia shootings

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/americas/2007/virginia_shootings/default.stm