Virginia Tech Killer Identified

[Alex+R 0]

More fragmentary information about who the guy was:

Tuesday, April 17th 2007 2:06PM

Cho's classroom colleague reacts to tragedy

T. Rees Shapiro, CT Staff Writer

Stephanie Derry, a senior English major at Virginia Tech, was in a 3000 level Playwriting class with Cho Seung-Hui this spring semester taught by acclaimed professor Ed Falco.

She described Seung-Hui's conduct in classes and how all the clues had been there, but could never imagine his bizarre behavior would ever materialize into these recent destructive events.

"Cho was really, really, quiet," Derry said. "I can't even remember one word he said the entire semester."

"We were in a playwriting class together, which is a workshop class, meaning you submit your plays to everyone in it and then we all review the play in class and talk about it," Derry said.

"His writing, the plays, were really morbid and grotesque," Derry noted. "I remember one of them very well. It was about a son who hated his stepfather. In the play the boy threw a chain saw around, and hammers at him. But the play ended with the boy violently suffocating the father with a rice krispy treat," Derry said.

"He even wrote one play about students being stalked by a teacher." Derry said.

"I mean, his kind of writing was pretty peculiar, but when we asked him if he had any comments after we'd reviewed his work, he would just shrug and say nothing," Derry described.

"We made jokes around the class about his work, because it was just so fictional, so surreal, we just had to laugh," Derry said, "We had to laugh because it couldn't ever be real or truthful, I mean who throws hammers or chainsaws around?"

"But we always joked we were just waiting for him to do something, waiting to hear about something he did," Derry said. "But when I got the call it was Cho who had done this, I started crying, bawling."

"I kept having to tell myself there is no way we could have known this was coming," Derry described. "I was just so frustrated that we saw all the signs, but never thought this could happen."

When asked for comment, Falco noted he was unable to comment.

But his classroom participation, she noted, was absent.

"He was just there," Derry said. "I can't even describe it."

"He would just sit and watch us, but wouldn't say anything. It was his lack of behavior that really set him apart. He basically just kept to himself, very isolated," Derry said.

His mood, Derry described, was apparitional; no emotions whatsoever.

"I remember only once he smiled," Derry recalled. "But it wasn't very big."

When asked whether he had physical behaviors or dressed a certain way, Derry said he always wore a maroon Virginia Tech hat, but other than that usually wore jeans and a t-shirt; nothing out of the ordinary.

"When I heard the killer had been wearing a red hat," Derry said. "I immediately thought of Cho."

[MaydayDas 1]

It is so sad what happened, I pray for the people that died, may God give them a place in Heaven. I can only imagine the fear in all american universities right now, the fear that every mother and father have for their son or daughter student.

I wonder if what happened it will bring new rules in the immigration process.......just wondering.......

Prolly not. It could have been an american citizen born and raised here who did the shooting, him being immigrated here didnt have the effect, it wont do anything with the immigration process.

But it wasn't a US born American citizen. I think that irrelevant detail will only add fuel to the fire for the anti-immigration folks.

I'm listening to the radio right now and one caller blamed, 'letting all of them foreigners in here'. Sadly this country is full of hate and incidents like this fan the flames.

regardless, i seriously DOUBT this will have anything to do with the immigration process. No immigration procedure can check to see if a person is going to blow up a building or shoot ppl is mass quantity before granting them a visa. and if if they can, then i owe you a beer.

But let's not forget about the Adam Walsh Act.....it affected the I-130 !!!!!!

[Heracles 417]

Most of the community life in this country IS in the cities. Maybe small towns, but not suburbia. You have demonstrated on several occasions that you don't know anything about our country, so stop making generalizations about it. :fumes:

Whatever helps you sleep at night..

[Fandango 1,440]

I'm reminded of the movie 'Arlington Road' There's a bit in there where Bo Bridges was explaining the mentality of having to find the 'reason' for senseless tragedies & the 'lone gunman' angle is a soothing one like 'here's the one guy who was different from everyone else'. I don't think it's used to promote hate amongst the nationalities, but I do think it's used as a tactic like 'hey he wasn't American so we can breathe easier now'

Yeah, I think it's weird how people want to get rid of the idea that he's American. Frankly, if he's been here since age 9, he's American. He probably spoke English without an accent and had a lot of American friends. I know lots of people who came here around that age and aren't any less American than those with parents from a different country born here. Maybe feeling a little like they have two nationalities, but 99% American.

Its the distancing effect. Its really quite obvious - the press doesn't have any information about why the guy went nuts like this (such as is possible to explain this sort of thing) - so they turn to the information they do have available to create some sort of sinister picture of the guy from bits and pieces of fragmentary info. So inevitably it starts with how "he's a loner" or "was always a bit weird", the fact that he's an immigrant is great from that point of view because subconciously it shifts the blame from our society. Its a broader equivalent of a mother saying to her husband "look at what your son has done".

Well I think it's done for more of a soothing effect instead of shifting blame...like somehow it 'explains' the tragedy as in 'here's the ONE guy who went nuts...the rest of us are kool & the gang.....this is why he did it, and now we can go to sleep happy and content cos we've figured out what makes him not like us so that I don't have to worry about whether this would happen again cos it was an abberation from normalcy'

Edited April 17, 2007 by LisaD

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I'm reminded of the movie 'Arlington Road' There's a bit in there where Bo Bridges was explaining the mentality of having to find the 'reason' for senseless tragedies & the 'lone gunman' angle is a soothing one like 'here's the one guy who was different from everyone else'. I don't think it's used to promote hate amongst the nationalities, but I do think it's used as a tactic like 'hey he wasn't American so we can breathe easier now'

Yeah, I think it's weird how people want to get rid of the idea that he's American. Frankly, if he's been here since age 9, he's American. He probably spoke English without an accent and had a lot of American friends. I know lots of people who came here around that age and aren't any less American than those with parents from a different country born here. Maybe feeling a little like they have two nationalities, but 99% American.

Its the distancing effect. Its really quite obvious - the press doesn't have any information about why the guy went nuts like this (such as is possible to explain this sort of thing) - so they turn to the information they do have available to create some sort of sinister picture of the guy from bits and pieces of fragmentary info. So inevitably it starts with how "he's a loner" or "was always a bit weird", the fact that he's an immigrant is great from that point of view because subconciously it shifts the blame from our society. Its a broader equivalent of a mother saying to her husband "look at what your son has done".

Well I think it's done for more of a soothing effect instead of shifting blame...like somehow it 'explains' the tragedy as in 'here's the ONE guy who went nuts...the rest of us are kool & the gang.....this is why he did it, and now we can go to sleep happy and content cos we've figured out what makes him not like us so that I don't have to worry about whether this would happen again cos it was an abberation from normalcy'

Its more or less the same thing with serial killers. Lots of time is spent demonising these people, making out that they were timebombs waiting to go off, and next to nothing on trying to understand the real causes that create that sort of psychology. Perhaps those questions can't be answered - but its a little frustrating that these things are only dealt with on a case by case basis rather than seeing the obvious - that general patterns of abuse and neglect (not saying this happened in this case) create deviant psychology and a propensity towards violence.

[Alex+R 0]

I did think, however, that the picture his classmate painted of him, if true, helps make the story fit. We all know someone who is just not right, or at least knew someone like that, and sometimes with violent tendencies. I feel like that was helpful info for people trying to make sense of this

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I did think, however, that the picture his classmate painted of him, if true, helps make the story fit. We all know someone who is just not right, or at least knew someone like that, and sometimes with violent tendencies. I feel like that was helpful info for people trying to make sense of this

Incidentally, as a kid I was referred to as a "loner" in at least one school report at primary school (and in all fairness I was), but I never felt the urge to go on a kill-crazy rampage.

Clearly there's a lot more to this - a lot more going on in a person than is immediately apparent from surface appearances. If for nothing else I think this illustrates the dangers of undiagnosed mental illness (indeed the difficulties of diagnosis). I can't believe that a guy would break the social compact and turn himself into a monster simply for being angry - you would have to be very disturbed over a long period of time. And its hard to believe that there would not have been warning signs - of some kind or another. But then again - who seriously expects something like this to happen at school or work? I mean - my company just announced possible "restructuring", should I start looking over my shoulder when I go to the coffee machine?

[Caladan 19]

What a sad case for this kid. He looked like a decent kid..

Depression is a serious problem.. I only wish someone had taken the initiative and offered some support to this kid.. This is what I miss about the old times where we actually cared about each other instead of this modern paris hilton style / fight to the death / whatever / each to their own / winner takes all attitude..

I partly disagree. Go back to the 60's, and earlier. A lot of people did not care about others who had mental or emotional problems. My mom grew up with an insane mother, and while my mom was treated good by her mom, her mother would threaten the neighbors and do very insane things. No one reached out to my mother to help her have a better childhood. And that was in NYC. My mom turned out ok after getting help around age 12 from her real father. But people were even less sympathetic back then in my opinion. So I don't know what old times you are referring to really.

US Cities have never been a nice place to grow up. Especially anyone living smack bang in a place such as NYC.. Suburbia and small towns are a completely different story.. Even to this day you can go to so many small towns and see the community spirit. I find that most of the countries in the world who have a high standard of living have a community spirit..

Generally speaking people in the wealthy US states are materialistic, status driven and chose to live that so-called hip lifestyle; irrespective of the consequences and lack of happiness it actually brings. Material things can never ever bring happiness. Sydney is becoming a lot like NYC and they have the same sort of problems. Everyone is concerned about money money money, at the expense of each other and those most vulnerable in the community. Robberies murders gangs etc..

No offense, but you don't sound like you've lived in a city, or visited New York. No problem with being proud about where you live, I'm sure your rural or small town is lovely, full of spirit, vim and vigor, but you have to understand that you sound about as unbelievable as I would if I were talking about how on the small towns the kids wake up at 4 to milk the cows and boink the sheep before putting on their overalls and walking barefoot to school. NYC, especially; it's hard to generalize block to block there, let alone say the whole city is X, Y, or Z.

And if you don't think there's materialism and status in the suburbs, I can only conclude you're blind.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

What I find most disturbing is that a resident alien that quite obviously had some issue can walk into a gun shop in VA and purchase semi-automatic handguns along with the requisite clips and ammo to pull off a sick stunt like this. He even had the fcuking receipt for this handgun on him. #######?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Cho Seung-Hui, the student who killed 32 people and then himself yesterday, left a long and "disturbing" note in his dorm room at Virginia Tech, say law enforcement sources.

Sources have now described the note, which runs several pages, as beginning in the present tense and then shifting to the past tense. It contains rhetoric explaining Cho's actions and says, "You caused me to do this," the sources told ABC News.

Sources say Cho, 23, killed two people in a dorm room, returned to his own dorm room where he re-armed and left the note, then went to a classroom building on the other side of campus. There, he killed 30 more people in four classrooms before shooting himself in the head.

more...

A 'Troubled' Young Man

Carolyn Rude, chairwoman of Virginia Tech's English department, is quoted as saying a colleague, Lucinda Roy, described Cho as "troubled." According to a report from the Associated Press, Roy was concerned enough about what Cho wrote in an assignment last year that she recommended he seek counseling.

TheSmokingGun.com has posted the text of a play, purported to be by Cho, which describes a 13-year-old boy who accuses his stepfather of pedophelia, and ends with the boy's death. In the play, titled "Richard McBeef," the boy talks of killing his stepfather.

"There was some concern about him," Rude said. "Sometimes, in creative writing, people reveal things and you never know if it's creative or if they're describing things, if they're imagining things or just how real it might be. But we're all alert to not ignore things like this."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3048108

Edited April 17, 2007 by Steven_and_Jinky

[Niels Bohr 72]

My University's Chancellor sent out a mass email to every faculty, student, and parents about this.

Anybody who have clues that indicate an event will occur can report it to the campus police immediately. Since my University preside on state highway, the police are all state troopers.

Edited April 17, 2007 by consolemaster

[Alex+R 0]

I did think, however, that the picture his classmate painted of him, if true, helps make the story fit. We all know someone who is just not right, or at least knew someone like that, and sometimes with violent tendencies. I feel like that was helpful info for people trying to make sense of this

Incidentally, as a kid I was referred to as a "loner" in at least one school report at primary school (and in all fairness I was), but I never felt the urge to go on a kill-crazy rampage.

Clearly there's a lot more to this - a lot more going on in a person than is immediately apparent from surface appearances. If for nothing else I think this illustrates the dangers of undiagnosed mental illness (indeed the difficulties of diagnosis). I can't believe that a guy would break the social compact and turn himself into a monster simply for being angry - you would have to be very disturbed over a long period of time. And its hard to believe that there would not have been warning signs - of some kind or another. But then again - who seriously expects something like this to happen at school or work? I mean - my company just announced possible "restructuring", should I start looking over my shoulder when I go to the coffee machine?

Agreed. I meant that it helped in painting a picture of the guy, not in making generalizations about others.

[natty bumppo 297]

Sources tell ABC News Cho bought his first gun, a Glock 9 millimeter handgun, on March 13; they say he bought his second weapon, a .22 caliber pistol, within the last week. The serial numbers on both guns had been filed off, they said.

Authorities found the receipt for the 9 millimeter handgun in Cho's backpack. They say the bag also contained two knives and additional ammunition for the two guns.

Legal permanent resident aliens may purchase firearms in the state of Virginia. A resident alien must, however, provide additional identification to prove he or she is a resident of the state.

If the handguns were purchased in VA, it would be interesting to see the rest of the story ... like what enabled him to purchase two handguns in VA within a 30 day period?

http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Firearms_MultiplePurchase.shtm

Appears he waited the requisite time to purchase the second firearm.

What a sick puppy.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I did think, however, that the picture his classmate painted of him, if true, helps make the story fit. We all know someone who is just not right, or at least knew someone like that, and sometimes with violent tendencies. I feel like that was helpful info for people trying to make sense of this

Incidentally, as a kid I was referred to as a "loner" in at least one school report at primary school (and in all fairness I was), but I never felt the urge to go on a kill-crazy rampage.

Clearly there's a lot more to this - a lot more going on in a person than is immediately apparent from surface appearances. If for nothing else I think this illustrates the dangers of undiagnosed mental illness (indeed the difficulties of diagnosis). I can't believe that a guy would break the social compact and turn himself into a monster simply for being angry - you would have to be very disturbed over a long period of time. And its hard to believe that there would not have been warning signs - of some kind or another. But then again - who seriously expects something like this to happen at school or work? I mean - my company just announced possible "restructuring", should I start looking over my shoulder when I go to the coffee machine?

Agreed. I meant that it helped in painting a picture of the guy, not in making generalizations about others.

Ultimately this is tragic and senseless for all concerned. A lot of people have died for no reason, and one guy has chosen (for whatever reason) to leave an infamous tribute to the world. What's really sad is that this can and will happen again - as it seems there is no shortage of people out there living with borderline psychopathic and sociopathic tendencies.

[Heracles 417]

Its more or less the same thing with serial killers. Lots of time is spent demonising these people, making out that they were timebombs waiting to go off, and next to nothing on trying to understand the real causes that create that sort of psychology. Perhaps those questions can't be answered - but its a little frustrating that these things are only dealt with on a case by case basis rather than seeing the obvious - that general patterns of abuse and neglect (not saying this happened in this case) create deviant psychology and a propensity towards violence.

I agree.

I almost believe kids and we as a society bring ###### on ourselves. We allow the cool kids and bullies to harass and outcast anyone who is different, anyone who does not 'like' fit into the 'group' or is not what your typical dumbass teenager perceives as being cool; then turn around in shock when this happens.

As long as we as a society fail to address these social issues the same ###### will happen again. Columbine ring a bell..

Edited April 17, 2007 by Infidel