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{{Korean name|]}}
{{Infobox Person
| name = Seung-Hui Cho
| image = Cho Seung-hui 3.jpg
| image_size = 150px
| birth_date = {{birth date|1984|01|18}}
| birth_place = ], ]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2007|04|16|1984|01|18}}
| death_place = ], ], ]
| death_cause =
| nationality = {{flagicon|KOR}} ]n
| known_for = ]
| education = ]
}}
{{Infobox Korean name
|hangul=조승희
|hanja={{linktext|趙|承|熙}}
|rr=Jo Seunghui
|mr=Cho Sŭng-hŭi
|text=Korean pronunciation (]) :<br>{{IPA|}}<br>{{Audio|Ko-Jo_Seunghui.ogg|Korean pronunciation}}<br>English pronunciation:<br>{{IPAEng|tʃoʊ sʌŋˈhiː}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/d1061/Cho_Seung-Hui|title=English pronunciation guide to names: Cho Seung-hui|publisher=Inogolo.com|accessdate=2007-04-19}}</ref>
|tablewidth=267
}}
'''Seung-Hui Cho'''<ref>Some initial media reports referred to Cho's name as ''Cho Seung-Hui,'' with the ] "]" appearing ahead of the given name in accordance with ]. However, subsequent statements by the family indicated the preference for the Western ordering of Cho's name as ''Seung-Hui Cho''. Cho himself sometimes used the name ''Seung Cho''.{{cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/20/AR2007042002288.html | title=Editor's note on Cho's surname | date=21 April 2007 | work=The Washington Post | accessdate=2008-01-11}}</ref> (], ] &ndash; ], ]) was a student at ] who committed ] of ] and wounded 25 others in the shooting ] which has come to be known as the ].<ref name="RT VT injured">{{cite news |coauthors=Donna Alvis-Banks, Matt Chittum and Albert Raboteau |title=Tech shooting victims: Moving forward |url=http://www.roanoke.com/vtvictims/wb/115937 |publisher=Roanoke Times |date=2007-05-07 |accessdate=2007-05-08}}</ref><ref name="ABC-caused">{{cite news |author=David Schoetz, Ned Potter, Richard Esposito, Pierre Thomas |title=Killer's Note: 'You Caused Me to Do This' |url=http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3048108&page=1 |work=] |date=] ] |accessdate = 2007-04-19}}</ref> Cho committed ] after law enforcement officers breached the doors of the building where he had killed and injured the majority of his victims.

Cho was a ]n national who had ] in the ], where he arrived at a young age with his family. He was diagnosed with a severe form of an ] known as ] in middle school, as well as ].<ref>.</ref> That is when he started receiving treatment and he continued receiving ] and special education support until his junior year of high school. During Cho's last two years at Virginia Tech, several instances of his aberrant behavior, as well as plays and other writings he submitted containing references to violence, caused concerns among teachers and classmates.

In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings, ] ] convened a panel consisting of various officials and experts to investigate and examine the response and handling of issues related to the Virginia Tech shootings. The panel released its final report in ], devoting more than 30 pages to detailing Cho's troubled history. In the report, the panel criticized numerous failures &mdash; by school administrators, educators and mental health professionals who came into contact with Cho during his college years and who failed to notice his deteriorating condition and help him. The panel also criticized misinterpretations of privacy laws and gaps in Virginia's mental health system and gun laws. In addition, the panel faulted Virginia Tech administrators in particular for failing to take immediate action after the first shootings.<ref name="vtrpt"> (2007, August). Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia. Retrieved September 21, 2007 (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing all sections of the report).</ref>

==Childhood and Adulthood==
Cho's family lived in a basement apartment in South Korea. Cho's father was self-employed as a bookstore owner, but never made much money from the venture. Seeking economic opportunity, Cho's father emigrated to the United States in ] with his wife and two children. Cho was eight years old at the time. The family first lived in ], then moved to the ] metropolitan area after learning that it had one of the largest Korean populations in the country. Cho's family settled in ], an unincorporated community in western ], ] about {{convert|25|mi|km|0}} west of ].<ref name=ChoTimeline>Leslie Ferenc, L. (] ])</ref> Cho's father and mother opened a dry-cleaning business in Centreville. After the family moved to Centreville, Cho and his family became ] of the ] as ]n ].<ref name="Gunman's violent writings alarmed many">{{cite web |title=Gunman's violent writings alarmed many |publisher=WFAA-TV (Dallas, TX) |date=] |url=http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/041807dnnatvatech.1a36bd32.html |accessdate = 2007-04-18}}</ref><ref name="Washpost">Wilgoren, D., Schneider, H. & Pierre, R.E. (2007, April 17). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> His parents became members of a local ] church, and Cho himself was raised as a member of the religion.<ref>Sang-Hun, C. (]]). ''The International Herald Tribune''. Retrieved ] ].</ref>

===Family concerns about Cho's behavior during childhood===
A few members of Cho's family, those who remained in South Korea, had concerns about his behavior during his early childhood. Cho's relatives thought that he was ] or possibly ]. According to Cho's uncle, Cho "didn’t say much and did not mix with other children."<ref name="NYTimesMute">{{cite news | title = Before Deadly Rage, a Life Consumed by Troubling Silence | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/us/22vatech.html | publisher = New York Times | date = ] | accessdate = 2007-04-23}}</ref> Cho's maternal great-aunt, Kim Yang-soon, described Cho as "cold" and a cause of family concern from as young as eight years old. According to Kim, who met him twice,<ref>{{cite news | title = Bright Daughter, Brooding Son: Enigma in the Cho Household | publisher = Los Angeles Times | date = ] | accessdate = 2007-04-22}}</ref> Cho was extremely shy and "just would not talk at all." He was otherwise considered "well-behaved," readily obeying verbal commands and cues.<ref name="ReutersFeed">{{cite news | title = Reuters feed: gunman was a cold
and quiet boy | publisher=Reuters | date= 2007-04-19 | accessdate = 2007-04-25}}</ref> The great-aunt said she knew something was wrong after the family's departure for the United States because she heard frequent updates about Cho's older sister, but little news about Cho.<ref name="isolatedCho">Cho, D. & Gardner, A. (2007, April 21). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved on ] 2007]].</ref> During an ] '']'' interview on August 30, 2007, Cho's grandfather reported his concerns about Cho's behavior during childhood. According to Cho's grandfather, Cho never looked up to him to make ], never called him grandfather, and never moved to hug him.<ref name="gfinterview>Moran, T. (] ]). Cho's mother and father ignored signs that he was mentally ill. ABC News: Nightline. Retrieved on September 2, 2007.</ref>

===Behavior in elementary school===
Cho studied at ] in ], an unincorporated community in ]. According to Kim Gyeong-won, who first met Cho in the fifth grade and took classes with him,<ref name="joonangilbo">{{cite news | title = Childhood friend recalls a different side of Cho | date = ] ] | publisher = Joong Ang Ilbo | author = Lee Hyeon-gu}}</ref> Cho finished the three-year program at Poplar Tree Elementary School in one and a half years. Cho was noted for being good at mathematics and English, and teachers pointed to him as an example for other students.<ref name="newpaper"/> At that time, according to Kim, nobody disliked Cho and he "was recognized by friends as a boy of knowledge;... a good dresser who was popular with the girls." Kim added that "I only have good memories about him."<ref name="newpaper">{{cite news | title = Classmates laughed at him when he spoke | url = http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,128300,00.html? | publisher = ] | date = ] ] | accessdate = 2007-04-22}}</ref><ref name="joonangilbo"/> An acquaintance noted that "Every time he came home from school he would cry and throw tantrums saying he never wanted to return to school" when Cho first came to America in about the second grade.<ref name="gfinterview>Moran, T. (] ]). ABC News: Nightline. Retrieved on September 2, 2007.</ref>

===Behavior in middle school and high school===
Cho attended ]s in Fairfax County, including ] in Centreville<ref name="isolatedCho"/> and ] in Chantilly,<ref name=ChoTimeline/> and by eighth grade had been diagnosed with ], a ] disorder which inhibited him from speaking.<ref name="SelMutism">{{cite news|title=From Disturbed High Schooler to College Killer|url=http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118756463647202374-Ov_1NZv4xxHzWuURpyNEJzRhdYw_20070918.html|publisher=Wall Street Journal|author=Daniel Golden|date=]|accessdate=2007-08-20}}</ref>

During Cho's time in middle school and high school, he was teased for his shyness and unusual speech patterns. Some classmates even offered dollar bills to Cho just to hear him talk.<ref name="isolatedCho"/> According to Chris Davids, a high school classmate in Cho's ] class at Westfield High School, Cho looked down and refused to speak when called upon. Davids added that, after one teacher threatened to give Cho a failing grade for not participating in class, he began reading in a strange, deep voice that sounded "like he had something in his mouth. The whole class started laughing and pointing and saying, 'Go back to ].'" Another classmate, Stephanie Roberts, stated that "there were just some people who were really cruel to him, and they would push him down and laugh at him. He didn't speak ] really well, and they would really make fun of him."<ref name="Apuzzo 2007">Apuzzo, M. & Cohen, S. (2007, April 19). "Va. Tech gunman seen as textbook killer" Associated Press. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Cho was also teased as the "] kid" for his practice of walking to school alone with his trombone. Other students recall crueler names and that most of the bullying was because he was alone.<ref name="Callebs Sean">Callebs, S. (2007, April 20). CNN. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Christopher Chomchird and Carmen Blandon, former classmates of Cho, stated that they heard rumors of a "hit list" of other students Cho wanted to kill. Blandon stated that she saw the "list" as a joke at the time.<ref>de Kretser, L. & Gittens, H. (2007, April 20). Retrieved on ] ].</ref> While several students recalled instances of Cho being teased and mocked at Westfield, most left him alone and later said they were not aware of his anger.<ref>{{cite news | first = Na-young | last = Han | url = http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?no=357119&rel_no=1 | title = Seung-Hui Cho was my classmate | publisher = ] | date = ]| accessdate = 2007-04-20}}</ref><ref>Beno, L. (2007, April 17). ] (High Point, NC). Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Cho graduated from Westfield High School in 2003.<ref name="ABC-caused"/>
In 1999, during the spring of Cho's Eighth grade year, the ] made national news. Cho was transfixed by it. "I remember sitting in ] class with him, right next to him, and there being something written on his binder to the effect of, you know, '"F"' you all, I hope you all burn in ],' which I would assume meant us, the students," said Ben Baldwin, a classmate of Cho.<ref name="gfinterview>Moran, T. (] ]). ABC News: Nightline. Retrieved on September 2, 2007.</ref> Also, Cho wrote in a school assignment about wanting to "repeat Columbine." The school contacted Cho's sister, who reported the incident to their parents. Cho was sent to a ].<ref></ref>

===Selective-mutism diagnosis===
Immediately after the incident, reports carried speculation by family members in Korea that Cho was ].<ref>{{cite news |title= A Family's Shame in Korea |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1613417,00.html |publisher=Time Magazine |date=] |accessdate = 2007-04-23}}</ref> However, no known record exists of Cho ever being diagnosed with autism,<ref name="TimeAutism">{{cite news |title=A Family's Shame in Korea |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1613417,00.html|publisher=Time Magazine |date=]|accessdate = 2007-04-25}}</ref><ref>Demian McLean and Vivek Shankar. Bloomberg. Last updated ] ]. Last accessed ] ].</ref> nor could an autism diagnosis be verified with Cho's parents. The Virginia Tech Review Panel report dismissed an autism diagnosis<ref name="VT panel report"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Virginia Korean community still reeling |url=http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Virginia-Tech-Koreans.html|publisher=Associated Press |date=]|accessdate = 2007-04-23}}</ref> and experts later doubted the autism claim.<ref name="ChoDisorder"/>

More than four months after the attack, the '']'' reported on ], ] that Cho had been diagnosed with selective mutism. The Virginia Tech Review Panel report, also released in ], placed this diagnosis in the spring of Cho's eighth grade year, and his parents sought treatment for him through ] and therapy.<ref name="VT panel report">
{{cite web
| title = Report of the Virginia Tech Review Panel
| url = http://www.governor.virginia.gov/TempContent/techPanelReport.cfm
| accessdate = 2007-08-31
| format = pdf
| publisher = Commonwealth of Virginia}}</ref> In high school, Cho was placed in ] under the 'emotional disturbance' classification. He was excused from oral presentations and participation in class conversation and received 50 minutes a month of ].<ref name="SelMutism"/> He continued receiving mental health therapy as well until his junior year, when Cho rejected further therapy.<ref name="VT panel report"/>

To address his problems, Cho's parents also took him to church. According to a pastor at Centreville Korean Presbyterian Church, Cho was a smart student who understood the ], but he was concerned about Cho's difficulty in speaking to people. The pastor added that, until he saw the video that Cho sent to ], he never heard him complete a sentence. The pastor also recalled that he told Cho's mother that he speculated Cho was autistic and he asked her to take him to a hospital, but she declined.<ref name="Thomas-making">Thomas, E. (2007, April 30). ''Newsweek''. ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref>

Forbidden by federal law to disclose (without Cho's permission) any record of disability or treatment, Westfield officials disclosed none of Cho's speech and anxiety-related problems to Virginia Tech.<ref name="ChoDisorder">Schulte, Brigid and Craig, Tim. (2007, August 27). ''Washington Post''. ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref>

==Demeanor at Virginia Tech==
During 2003, Cho's freshman year at ] (Virginia Tech), he enrolled as an ] ] in ] ], a program that included "a combination of ] and management coursework offered by the Pamplin College of Business."<ref name="choMotherChurch">Lewis, B. (2007, May 1). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved May 6, 2007</ref> The program was considered one of the most challenging disciplines at Virginia Tech and was listed as No. 6 on the "list of majors with the highest median starting ] after graduation."<ref name="choMotherChurch"/> By his senior year, Cho was majoring in English. Virginia Tech declined to divulge details about Cho's academic record and why he changed his major, citing ].<ref name="choMotherChurch"/>

At the time of the attacks, Cho lived with five roommates in Suite 2121, a three-room dormitory at Harper Hall,<ref>Nolan, J. & Ress, D. (]]). ''The Richmond-Times Dispatch''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref><ref> Maraniss, D. (]]). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> located just west of West Ambler Johnston Hall on the Virginia Tech campus.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Cloud |first=John |title=The Question Mark in Harper Hall |journal=] |url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1612003,00.html |date=] ]}}</ref>

===Relationship with professors===
Professor and acclaimed ] ], who taught Cho in a poetry class, stated that she had him removed from her class because she found his behavior menacing. She recalled that Cho had a "mean streak" and described his writing as "intimidating." After Giovanni was informed of the massacre, she remarked that "&#91;she&#93; knew when it happened that that's probably who it was," and "would have been shocked if it wasn't".<ref name="Cho_mental_health">{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/18/vtech.shooting/index.html|title=Police: Cho taken to mental health center in 2005}}</ref> Giovanni insisted that Cho be removed from her class in 2005, about six weeks after the semester began in September. Cho had intimidated female students by photographing their legs under their desks and by writing obscene, violent poetry.<ref name="Geller"/> Giovanni offered that "&#91;she&#93; was willing to resign before &#91;she&#93; would continue with him."<ref>Fernandez, M. & Santora, M. (2007, April 18). ''The New York Times''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Because of her concerns about Cho, Giovanni wrote a letter to then-department head ], who removed Cho from the class. Roy alerted the student affairs office, the dean's office, and the campus police, but each office responded that there was nothing they could do if Cho made no overt threats against himself or others.<ref>{{cite news |first=Allen G |last=Breed |title=Professor Had Expelled Gunman From Class |url=http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8OJ9LS00&show_article=1 |work=Breitbart.com |publisher=Associated Press |date=] |accessdate = 2007-04-19 }}</ref>

Roy described Cho as "an intelligent man", and stated that he seemed to be awkward, lonely and insecure student who never took off his sunglasses, even indoors. She described Cho's behavior as "arrogant" and "obnoxious" at times,<ref>Acosta, J. (2007, April 17). CNN. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> and that she tried several different ways to help him.<ref name="MSNBC suspect's writing"/> Roy declined to comment about Cho’s writings, saying only in general that the writings "seemed very angry". She added that Cho whispered his response after taking 20 seconds to answer questions, and he also took ] of her in class. After Roy became concerned with Cho's behavior and the themes in his writings, she started meeting with Cho to work with him one-on-one. As Roy worked with Cho, she became concerned for her safety. She told her assistant that, if she uttered the name of a dead professor (which served as a ]), the assistant was to call security.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/us/22vatech.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5087%0A&em&en=c03fa6dd698cd1dc&ex=1177387200 | title=Before Deadly Rage, a Life Consumed by a Troubling Silence | publisher=The New York Times | date=] ]}}</ref> After Roy notified legal authorities about Cho's behavior, she urged Cho to seek ]. Roy said that, to her knowledge, Cho never followed through with the request.<ref name="ABC-caused"/>

When Virginia Tech creative writing professor ], who taught Cho in both Advanced Fiction Writing and Contemporary Fiction, inquired about him from Mary Ann Lewis, associate dean for Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech, she was not told that he was suffering from mental health issues or about prior police reports concerning the harassment of female students. Norris noted that, "my guess is that either the information was not accessible to her or it was privileged and could not be released to me."<ref name=professor>{{ cite news |url = http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3060798|title = English Professor Went to Dean About Killer |date=] ]}}</ref> Lewis told Norris to recommend that Cho seek counseling at the on-campus Cook Counseling Center, which she had already done.<ref name=professor/>

===Relationship with students===
Fellow students described Cho as a "quiet" person who "would not respond if someone greeted him." Student Julie Poole recalled the first day of a literature class the previous year when the students introduced themselves one by one. When it was Cho's turn to introduce himself, he did not speak. According to Poole, the professor looked at the sign-in sheet and found that, whereas everyone else wrote out their names, Cho wrote only a question mark. Poole added that "we just really knew him as the question mark kid".<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6564653.stm |
title =The 'loner' behind campus killing | publisher = BBC News (need date) | accessdate = 2007-04-17}}</ref>

Karan Grewal, who shared a room with Cho at Harper Hall, reported that Cho "would sit in a wood ] by the window ; and stare at the lawn below". According to Grewal, "Cho appeared to never to go to class or read a book" during his (Cho's) senior year," adding that Cho just typed on his laptop, went to the dining hall and clipped his hair in the bathroom, cleaning up the hair afterwards. Grewal also reported that he witnessed Cho riding his bicycle in circles in the parking lot of the dormitory.<ref name="choMotherChurch"/>

Andy Koch and John Eide, who once shared a room with Cho at Cochrane Hall during 2005 and 2006,<ref>Ruane, M.E. (] ]). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref><ref name="MSNBC=18248298">{{cite news | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18248298/site/newsweek/page/9/ | title=Making of a Massacre | publisher=Newsweek | date=] ]}}</ref> stated that Cho demonstrated other repetitive behaviors, such as listening repeatedly to "]"<ref name="Shine_Video_on_Youtube">Shine (]). ''Collective Soul''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> by the ] band ], a 1994 singles chart hit from their album '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/music/archives/2007/04/collective_soul.php|title=Collective Soul's "Shine" Soon To Be Christened Virginia Tech's "Helter Skelter"}}</ref> Cho wrote the song's lyrics "Teach me how to speak; Teach me how to share; Teach me where to go" on the wall of his dormitory room.<ref name="Cho_mental_health"/><ref name=timesUK>Reid, T. (2007, April 17). ''The Times''(UK). Retrieved on ] ].</ref><ref> ABC News. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Koch described two further unusual incidents, including one where Cho stood in the doorway of his room late at night taking photographs of him (Koch) and a second incident where Cho repeatedly placed harassing cell phone calls to Koch as "Cho's brother, 'Question Mark'", a name Cho also used when introducing himself to girls. Koch and Eide searched Cho's belongings and found a pocket knife, but they did not find any items that they deemed seriously threatening to them.<ref name="MSNBC=18248298"/>

During Autumn 2005, Cho told Koch and Eide that he had an imaginary girlfriend by the name of "Jelly," a ] who lived in ] and who called Cho by the name "Spanky" and traveled by ].<ref>Kleinfield, N.R. (] ]). ''The New York Times''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Koch also described a telephone call that he received from Cho during the ] holiday break from school. During that call, Koch said that Cho claimed to be "vacationing with ]," with Cho adding "Yeah, we're in ]." In response, Koch told him "I'm pretty sure that's not possible, Seung."<ref>Breed, A.G. & Kahn, C. (] ]). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved on ] ].)</ref>
Because of Cho's behavior, Koch and Eide, who had earlier tried to befriend him, gradually stopped talking to him and told their friends, especially female classmates, not to visit their room.<ref name="CNN-self-desc-qmark">{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/18/cho.profile/index.html | title=Virginia Tech killer a self-described 'question mark'| publisher=CNN | date=] ]}}</ref>

Koch and Eide also stated that Cho was involved in at least three ] incidents, two of which resulted in verbal warnings by the Virginia Tech ].<ref name="CNN-self-desc-qmark" /><ref name="Cho_mental_health"/><ref name="timesUK"/> The first stalking incident occurred on ] ].<ref name="Times-Online-missed-chances">{{cite web|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1680519.ece|title=Series of missed chances that let a potential killer slip through the net}}</ref> After the incident, according to Koch, Cho claimed to have sent an ] online to the female student by ] and found out where she lived on the campus. Eide stated that Cho then visited her room to see if she was "cool", adding that Cho remarked that he only found "]" in her eyes.<ref name="Washington-Post-should-have-done-something">{{cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/21/AR2007042101223_2.html | title='Looking Back&nbsp;... We Should Have Done Something' | publisher=The Washington Post | date = ] ]}}</ref> Eide added that, when Cho visited the female student, Cho said, "Hi, I'm Question Mark" to her, "which really freaked her out."<ref name="CNN-self-desc-qmark"/> The female student called the campus police, complaining that Cho had sent her annoying messages and made an unannounced visit to her room.<ref name="Times-Online-missed-chances"/> Two uniformed members of the campus police visited Cho’s room at the dormitory later that evening and warned him not to contact the female student again. Cho made no further contact with the student.<ref name="Washington-Post-should-have-done-something"/>

The final stalking incident came to light on ], ].<ref name="Times-Online-missed-chances"/><ref name="Washington-Post-should-have-done-something"/> In the preceding days, Cho had contacted a female friend of Koch via ] and wrote on her door board a line from ] '']'', Act 2, scene II, in which ] laments to ]:

{{cquote|''By a name, I know not how to tell who I am. My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself, because it is an enemy to thee. Had I it written, I would tear the word.''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shakespeare.mit.edu/romeo_juliet/romeo_juliet.2.2.html|title=''Romeo &amp; Juliet'', act 2, scene 2}}</ref><ref>by John Caruso</ref>}}

The young woman was initially unconcerned by Cho's AIM messages and the Shakespearean ] he left on her door board, until she was contacted by Andy Koch via AIM. Koch told her that Cho was involved in an earlier stalking incident and that, "i think he is ] or however you spell it".<ref>By E.J. Johnson</ref> Upon Koch's encouragement, the young woman contacted the campus police, who again warned Cho against further unwanted contact.<ref name="Times-Online-missed-chances"/> After that warning, Cho made no further contact with the second female student.

Later the same day, Cho sent a ] to Koch with the words, "I might as well kill myself now."<ref name="Washington-Post-should-have-done-something"/> Worried that Cho was suicidal, Koch contacted his father for advice, and both of them contacted campus authorities. The campus police returned to the dormitory and escorted Cho to New River Valley Community Services Board, the Virginia mental health agency serving Blacksburg.<ref name="mhealthExam">Schulte, B. & Jenkins, C.L. (] ]). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref>

==Psychiatric evaluation==
===Court-ordered psychiatric assessment===
On ] ], Cho was found "mentally ill and in need of hospitalization" by New River Valley Community Services Board.<ref name="smokingGun"> (]]). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> The physician who examined Cho noted that he had a ] and ], even though Cho "denied suicidal thoughts and did not acknowledge symptoms of a ]."<ref name="smokingGun"/> Based on this mental health examination and because Cho was suspected of being "an imminent danger to himself or others", he was detained temporarily at Carilion St. Albans Behavioral Health Center in ], pending a commitment hearing before the ] ].<ref name="smokingGun"/>

Virginia Special Justice Paul Barnett certified in an order that Cho "presented an imminent danger to himself as a result of mental illness", but instead recommended treatment for Cho as an outpatient. On ], ], Cho was released from the mental health facility after Judge Barnett ordered Cho to undergo mental health treatment on an outpatient basis,<ref name="ABC_Court"/> with a directive for the "court-ordered to follow all recommended treatments." Since Cho underwent only a minimal psychiatric assessment,<ref name="smokingGun"/> the true diagnosis for Cho's mental health status remains unknown.

{{cquote|Virginia state law on mental health disqualifications to firearms purchases, however, is worded slightly differently from the federal statute. So the form that Virginia courts use to notify state police about a mental health disqualification addresses only the state criteria, which list two potential categories that would warrant notification to the state police: someone who was "]" or ruled mentally "incapacitated."<ref name="NYTgun-421">{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Luo |title=U.S. rules made killer ineligible to purchase gun |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/21/us/21guns.html|publisher=New York Times |date=2007-04-21 |accessdate = 2007-04-21 }}</ref>}}

Because Cho was not involuntarily committed to a mental health facility as an inpatient, he was still legally eligible to buy guns under Virginia law.<ref name="NYTgun-421"/> However, according to Virginia law, "A magistrate has the authority to issue a detention order upon a finding that a person is mentally ill and in need of hospitalization or treatment." The magistrate also must find that the person is an imminent danger to himself or others.<ref name="ABC_Court">{{cite news |title= VT Killer Ruled Mentally Ill by Court; Let Go After Hospital Visit |url=http://abcnews.go.com/US/print?id=3052278 |publisher=ABC News |date=] |accessdate = 2007-04-18}}</ref><ref>Reid, T. (2007, April 18). ''The Times''(UK). Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Virginia officials and other law experts have argued that, under ], Barnett's order meant that Cho had been "adjudicated as a mental defective" and was thus ineligible to purchase firearms under federal law.<ref name="NYTgun-421"/>

===Family efforts to help Cho===
The Virginia Tech Review Panel report shed light on numerous efforts by Cho's family to secure help for him as early as adolescence.<ref name="VT panel report" /> However, when Cho reached 18 and left for college, the family lost its legal authority over him, and its influence on him waned. Cho's mother, increasingly concerned about his inattention to classwork, his classroom absences and his ] behavior, sought help for him during summer 2006 from various churches in ].<ref name="choMotherChurch">Lewis, B. (2007, May 1). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved May 5, 2007</ref> According to Dong Cheol Lee, minister of One Mind Church – a ] church in ], a community in ], Cho's mother sought help from the church for Cho's problems. Lee added that "&#91;Cho's&#93; problem needed to be solved by spiritual power&nbsp;... "that's why she came to our church – because we were helping several people like him." Members of Lee's church even told Cho's mother that he was afflicted by "]" and needed "deliverance". Before the church could meet with the family, however, Cho returned to school to start his senior year at Virginia Tech.<ref name="choMotherChurch"/>

==Virginia Tech massacre==
{{Virginia Tech massacre}}
{{Main|Virginia Tech massacre}}
Around 7:15 a.m. ] (11:15 ]) on ], ], Cho killed two students, Emily J. Hilscher and Ryan C. "Stack" Clark, on the fourth floor of ], a high-rise co-educational dormitory.<ref name="MSNBC suspect's writing">{{cite news | author=Johnson, A., Williams, P., Teague, D., Dedman, B. & Carlson, T. |title=Gunman disturbed teachers, classmates - Massacre at Virginia Tech |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18148802/ |publisher=MSNBC and NBC News |date=] ] |accessdate = 2007-04-18}}</ref> Investigators later determined that Cho's shoes matched a blood-stained print found in the hallway outside Hilscher's room. The shoes and bloody jeans were found in Cho's dorm room where he had stashed them after the attack.<ref>{{cite news | author=Markon, Jerry. |title=Did Cho Make Dry Run at Va. Tech? |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/10/AR2007081001023.html|date=
] ] |accessdate = 2007-08-14}}</ref>

Within the next two and a half hours, Cho returned to his room to re-arm himself and mailed a package to ] that contained pictures, digital video files and documents.<ref>{{cite news | author=NBC | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18169776/ | title= Source: Gunman contacted NBC News during massacre | publisher=NBC |date=] ] | accessdate = 2007-04-18}}</ref> At approximately 9:45 a.m. EDT (13:45 UTC), Cho then crossed the campus to ], a classroom building on the campus where, in a span of nine minutes, Cho shot dozens of people, killing 30 of them.<ref name="MSNBC suspect's writing"/><ref> (] ]). Reuters Foundation. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> As police breached the area of the building where Cho attacked the faculty and students, Cho committed suicide in Norris 211 with a gunshot to his temple.<ref name="Rounds">Gelineau, K. (] ]). Canoe Network News (Canada). Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Cho's gunshot wounds destroyed his face, frustrating identification of his body for several hours.<ref>{{cite news | author=Associated Press | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/17/cho.profile/index.html | title= Source: Gunman angry at 'rich kids' | publisher=CNN |date=] ] | accessdate = 2007-04-18}}</ref> The police identified Cho by matching the ]s on the guns used in the shootings with immigration records.<ref name="ABC-caused"/> Before the shootings, Cho's only known connection to Norris Hall was as a student in the ] class, Deviant Behavior, which met in a classroom on the second floor of the building.<ref name="choMotherChurch"/> Although police had not stated positively at the time of the initial investigation that Cho was the perpetrator of the Norris Hall shootings and the earlier one at West Ambler Johnston Hall, ] confirmed that the same gun was used in both shooting incidents.<ref name="Geller">{{cite news | url=http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-ustech-side,0,7759008.story | title=Va. gunman had 2 past stalking cases |publisher=Newsday | author=Adam Geller | date=] ] | accessdate = 2007-04-18}}</ref>

===Preparation===
====Weapons====
] semi-automatic pistol, one of the models of handguns used by Cho.]]
] semi-automatic pistol, another model of handgun used by Cho.]]
] jacketed ] similar to the bullets used by Cho.<ref name=hbullet/>]]
During ] and ], Cho began purchasing the weapons that he later used during the killings. On ], ], Cho purchased his first handgun, a ] ] ], from TGSCOM Inc., a federally-licensed firearms dealer based in ], ] and the operator of the website through which Cho ordered the gun.<ref name=firstgun>{{cite news | url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/04/first_gun_bough.html | title=First Gun Bought March&nbsp;13; No 'Spur of the Moment' Crime | publisher=ABC News | author=Ross, B. & Esposito, R. | date=] ] | accessdate = 2007-04-18}}</ref><ref name=tgscom> WKBT-TV (LaCrosse, WI). Retrieved on ] ].</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=6388845&nav=S6aK|title=Shooter had guns more than 1 month before Va. shootings|accessdate = 2007-04-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/19/AR2007041900830_2.html | title=Kaine Gives Panel Latitude to Probe Campus Killings|accessdate = 2007-04-20}}</ref> TGSCOM Inc. shipped the Walther P22 to JND ]s in Blacksburg, Virginia, where Cho completed the legally-required background check for the purchase transaction and took possession of the handgun.<ref name = "gunsource">{{cite web |url=http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=1&date=4/19/2007&id=22284 |title=Green Bay-based Web site sold gun to Virginia Tech shooter.|date=2007-04-19 |last=Bauer |first=Scott}}</ref> Cho bought a second handgun, a ] semiautomatic pistol, on ] ] from Roanoke Firearms, a licensed gun dealer located in ], ].<ref name=firstgun/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://wjz.com/homepage/topstories_story_107173020.html |title=Gun Used In Rampage Traced To Roanoke Shop | publisher=WJZ-13 Baltimore | author=CBS News | date=] ] | accessdate = 2007-04-19}}</ref>

Cho was able to pass both background checks and successfully complete both handgun purchases after he presented to the gun dealers his ], his Virginia ] to prove legal age and length of Virginia residence and a checkbook showing his Virginia address, in addition to waiting the required 30-day period between each gun purchase. He was successful at completing both handgun purchases, even though he had failed to disclose information on the background questionnaire about his mental health that required court-ordered outpatient treatment at a mental health facility.<ref> Virginia Department of State Police. Retrieved on ] ].</ref><ref>Schulte, B. & Horwitz, S. (] ]). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref><ref>Barakat, M. (] ]). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved ] ].</ref>

On ], ], Cho purchased two 10-round ] for the Walther P22 pistol through ] from Elk Ridge Shooting Supplies in ].<ref>{{cite news | url = http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070421/D8OL9JRO0.html
| title = Tech gunman bought ammo clips on eBay | author = Geller, A. & Kahn, C. |date=] ] }}</ref> Based on a preliminary ] examination of Cho's eBay purchase records, investigators suspected that Cho may have purchased an additional 10-round magazine on ] ] from another eBay seller who sold gun accessories.<ref>Geller, A. & Kahn, C. (] ]). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved ] ].</ref>

Cho also bought jacketed ]s, which result in more tissue damage than ]s against unarmored targets<ref name=bullets>Di Maio, V.J.M. (1999). ''Gunshot wounds: Practical aspects of firearms, ballistics, and forensic techniques'', 2d ed. (p. 380). Boca Raton: CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-8163-0</ref> by expanding upon entering soft tissue.<ref name=hbullet>Somashekhar, S. & Miroff, N. (] ]). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Along with a manifesto, Cho later sent a photograph of the hollow point bullets to NBC News with the caption "All the &#91;shit&#93; you've given me, right back at you with hollow points."<ref name="BostonGlobe">Bauder, D. (] ]). &#91;NBC gets "manifesto" from Va. killer.&#93; ''The Boston Globe''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref><ref name="MSNBC_manifesto">] ]). MSNBC, p.5. Retrieved ] ].]</ref><ref>Williams, P. (] ]). MSNBC. Retrieved on ] ].</ref>

====Motive====
During the investigation, the police found a note in Cho's room in which he criticized "rich kids," "]" and "deceitful ]s." In the note, Cho continued by saying that "you caused me to do this."<ref name="ABC-caused"/> Early media reports also speculated that he was obsessed with fellow student Emily Hilscher and became enraged after she rejected his romantic overtures.<ref>{{cite news | title=Killer’s rampage ‘began after row with girlfriend’ | publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21576271-5001021,00.html | title=Was gunman crazed over Emily? | publisher=The Daily Telegraph | author=David Williams and Stefanie Balogh | date=] ] | accessdate = 2007-04-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url =http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=595642007 | title = Riddle of 'girlfriend' who was first to die’ | publisher = ]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url =
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23392980-details/Gunman%20shot%20his%20fellow%20students%20three%20times/article.do | title = Massacre gunman's deadly infatuation with Emily’ | publisher = ]}}</ref> Law enforcement investigators could not find evidence that Hilscher knew Cho.<ref name="hayasaki">Hayasaki, Erika, Richard Fausset and Adam Schreck. ] ] "Events turned on puzzling initial shootings" '']''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Cho and one of his victims, Ross Alameddine, attended the same English class during Autumn 2006.<ref>Smalley, S. (] ]). ''The Boston Globe''. Retrieved ] ].</ref>

===Aftermath===
====Crime investigation====
Through ] examination, law enforcement investigators determined that Cho used the Glock 19 pistol during the attacks at the West Ambler Johnston dormitory and at Norris Hall on the Virginia Tech campus.<ref>{{cite news | author= Associated Press | url=http://cbs11tv.com/education/local_story_106164729.html | title=31 Dead In Virginia Tech Shooting | publisher=] | date= ] ] | accessdate = 2007-04-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | author=Fantz, A. & O'Connor, A. | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/16/us/16cnd-shooting.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin | title=Virginia Tech Shooting Kills at Least 33 | publisher=New York Times | date= ] ] | accessdate = 2007-04-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | author=Potter, N., Schoetz, D., Esposito, R. & Thomas, P. | url=http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3045574&page=1 | title=Police cite person of interest in Va. Tech dorm killing | publisher=ABC News| date=] ] | accessdate = 2007-04-19}}</ref> Police investigators found that Cho fired 170 shots during the killing spree, with evidence technicians finding at least 17 empty ] at the scene.<ref>{{cite news | author = Urbina, I. & Fernandez, M. | title = University explains the return of troubled student |url =http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/20/us/20virginia.html?pagewanted=2 |date = ] ]}}</ref><ref>Gelineau, K. (] ]). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> During the investigation, federal law enforcement investigators found that the serial numbers were illegally filed off both the Walther P22 and the Glock 19 handguns used by Cho during the rampage.<ref>{{cite news | author=McLean, D. | url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=agIkGYWe13J8&refer=home | title=Police Find No Link Between Virginia Gunman, Victims | publisher=Bloomberg| date=] ] | accessdate = 2007-04-25}}</ref> Investigators also learned that Cho practiced shooting during mid-March at a firing range in Roanoke, about 40&nbsp;miles from the Virginia Tech campus.<ref name=firstgun>
"Investigators also say Cho practiced shooting at a firing range in Roanoke, about 40&nbsp;miles from the campus, in mid-March."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18209746/ | title=Cho prepared in advance for rampage| publisher=MSNBC | date=unknown | accessdate = 2007-04-20}}</ref> According to former FBI agent Brad Garrett, "This was no spur-of-the-moment crime. He's been thinking about this for several months prior to the shooting."<ref name=firstgun/>

====Review of Cho's medical records====
During the investigation, the matter of Cho's court-ordered mental health treatment was also examined to determine its outcome. Virginia investigators learned after a review of Cho's medical records that he never complied with the order for the mandated mental health treatment as an outpatient.<ref name="mhealthExam"/> The investigators also found that neither the court nor New River Valley Community Services Board exercised oversight of his case to determine his compliance with the order. In response to questions about Cho's case, New River Valley Community Services Board maintained that its facility was never named in the court order as the provider for his mental health treatment, and its responsibility ended once he was discharged from its care after the court order.<ref name="mhealthExam"/> In addition, Christopher Flynn, director of the Cook Counseling Center at Virginia Tech, mentioned that the court did not notify his office to report that Cho was required to seek outpatient mental health treatment. Flynn added that, "When a court gives a mandatory order that someone get outpatient treatment, that order is to the individual, not an agency&nbsp;... The one responsible for ensuring that the mentally ill person receives help in these sort of cases&nbsp;... is the mentally ill person."<ref name="mhealthExam"/>

As a result, Cho escaped compliance with the court order for mandatory mental health treatment as an outpatient, even though Virginia law required community services boards to "recommend a specific course of treatment and programs" for mental health patients and "monitor the person's compliance."<ref name="mhealthExam"/> As for the court, Virginia law also mandated that, if a person fails to comply with a court order to seek mental health treatment as an outpatient, that person can be brought back before the court "and if found still in crisis, can be committed to a psychiatric institution for up to 180 days." Cho was never summoned to court to explain why he had not complied with the ], ] order for mandatory mental health treatment as an outpatient.<ref name="mhealthExam"/>

The investigation panel had sought Cho's medical records for several weeks, but due to privacy laws, Virginia Tech was prohibited from releasing them without permission from Cho's family, even after his death.<ref> June 4, 2007</ref> The panel had considered using ]s to obtain his records. On June 12, 2007, Cho's family released his medical records to the panel, although the panel said that the records were not enough.<ref> June 14, 2007</ref><ref> June 14, 2007</ref> The panel obtained additional information by court order.<ref> June 19, 2007</ref> Like the perpetrators of both the Columbine and Jokela school massacres, Cho was prescribed the ] drug ] prior to his rampage, a substance suspected by ] and ] of leading to suicidal behaviors.<ref></ref> The ] test from the official autopsy later showed that neither psychiatric nor any kind of ] were in his system during the time of the shooting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=6694716&nav=HMO6HMaW|title=kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=6694716&nav=HMO6HMaW<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref>

==== Investigative panel report ====
In the aftermath of the killing spree, Virginia Governor ] (]) appointed a panel to investigate the campus shootings, with plans for the panel to submit a report of its findings in approximately two to three months. Kaine also invited former ] Secretary ] to join the panel to "review Cho’s mental health history and how police responded to the tragedy."<ref name="mental health investigation">Ferguson, B. (] ]). ''Arab News'' (Saudi Arabia). Retrieved on ] ].</ref> To help investigate and analyze the emergency response surrounding the Virginia Tech shootings, Kaine hired the same company that investigated the ].<ref> ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref>

The panel's final report devoted more than 30 pages to detailing Cho's mental health history. The report criticized Virginia Tech educators, administrators and mental health staff in failing to "connect the dots" from numerous incidents that were warning signs of Cho's mental instability beginning in his junior year. The report concluded that the school's mental health systems "failed for lack of resources, incorrect interpretation of privacy laws, and passivity."<ref name="VT panel report"/> The report called Virginia's mental health laws "flawed" and its mental health services "inadequate". The report also confirmed that Cho was able to purchase two guns in violation of federal law because of Virginia's inadequate background check requirements.<ref name="VT panel report"/>

====Reaction of Cho's family====
Cho's older sister, Sun-Kyung Cho, a 2004 graduate of ] who works as a contractor for the ],<ref>"Gunman's sister works on Iraq reconstruction team" Yahoo News.</ref><ref name=sister>{{cite web |url=http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3050788 |title=Va. Tech shooter's sister works with State Department |author=Radio, K, & Devogue, A. |publisher=ABC News |date=] |accessdate = 2007-04-18}}</ref> prepared a statement on her family's behalf to apologize publicly for her brother's actions, in addition to lending prayers to the victims and the families of the wounded and killed victims.<ref name="family">CNN. Last accessed ] ].</ref> "This is someone that I grew up with and loved. Now I feel like I didn't know this person," she said in the statement issued through a ] attorney. "We never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence."<ref name="family"/> Cho's grandfather stated, "My grandson Seung-Hui was very shy. I can't believe he did such a thing."<ref>{{cite news | url = http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3053832&page=1 |
title =The Facts of the Virginia Massacre | publisher = ABC News | date=unknown | accessdate = 2007-04-18}}</ref>

==Media package sent to NBC News==
] coverage of several videos Seung-Hui Cho sent to ].]]
]
During the time period between the two shooting events on ], Cho visited a local ] near the Virginia Tech campus where he mailed a parcel containing a ] to the ] headquarters of ] containing video clips, photographs and a manifesto explaining the reasons for his actions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=local&id=5220434|title=Gunman mailed package between shootings}}</ref> The package, addressed from "A. ]" as seen on an image of the USPS Express Mail envelope (incorrectly printed as "Ismail" by '']''<ref name="NBC_package_NYT">{{cite news | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/18/us/18cnd-virginia.html | title = Gunman Sent Photos, Video and Writings to NBC | publisher = ]}}</ref>) and apparently intended to be received on ], was delayed because of an incorrect ZIP code and street address. The words "Ismail Ax" were scrawled in red ink on Cho's arm.<ref name="postax">{{cite news | Author= <span class="user-sig user-Resurgent-insurgent">''&mdash;~~~ <small>]&nbsp;09:03]</small>''</span> | title = Hunt for meaning in a killer’s hieroglyphics | publisher = MSNBC | date=] | accessdate = 2007-04-21}}</ref><ref name = "ismail ax arm"> {{cite news| url = http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3053904&page=1 | title = 'Ismail-Ax': Breaking the Riddle | date = ] ]}}</ref>

===Release of material===
Upon receiving the package on ], ], ] contacted authorities and made the controversial decision to publicize Cho's communications by releasing a small fraction of what it received.<ref>Perez-Pena, R. (] ]). ''The New York Times''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> After pictures and images from the videos were broadcasted in numerous news reports, students and faculty from Virginia Tech, along with relatives of victims of the campus shooting, expressed concerns that, "to understand a person's motives is to glorify them", and that glorifying Cho's rampage could lead to copycat killings. The airing of the manifesto and its video images and pictures were upsetting to many who were more closely-affected by the shootings: Peter Read, the father of Mary Read, one of the students who was killed by Cho during the rampage, asked the media to stop airing Cho's manifesto.<ref>{{cite news | title='Killer's images 'a second assault on us'' | url =http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/04/19/vtech.shooting/index.html | publisher=CNN | date=] | accessdate = 2007-04-20}}</ref>

Police officials, who reviewed the video, pictures and manifesto, concluded that the contents of the media package had marginal value in helping them learn and understand why Cho committed the killings.<ref>Macklin, W. (] ]). AHN Media Corp. Retrieved ] ].</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Matt | last=Apuzzo | title=Va. Tech awarding degrees to victims | url =http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3056526&page=1
| publisher=ABC |date=] | accessdate = 2007-04-19}}</ref> Dr. ], who also reviewed the materials, believed that Cho's rantings offer little insight into the mental illness that may have triggered his rampage.<ref>{{cite news |author= Kari Huus |title='Reading Between Cho's Lines'|url =http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18221031/
| publisher=MSNBC | date=] | accessdate = 2007-04-20}}</ref><ref name="Welner">{{cite news | title='Psychiatrist: Showing Video Is 'Social Catastrophe' | url=http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/VATech/story?id=3056168&page=1
| publisher=ABC | date=] | accessdate = 2007-04-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Experts Speak Out: Seung-Hui Cho's Videa 'Manifesto'|url =http://abcnews.go.com/Health/VATech/story?id=3057966&page=1
| publisher=ABC | date=] | accessdate = 2007-04-20}}</ref> Dr. Welner stated that "These videos do not help us understand Cho. They distort him. He was meek. He was quiet. This is a PR tape of him trying to turn himself into a ] character."<ref name="Welner"/>

During the ], ] edition of the ], NBC News President ] stated NBC decided to show two minutes of 25 minutes of video, seven of 43 photographs, and 37 sentences of 23 pages of written material or 5 of the 23 PDF files that were last modified at 7:24 a.m., after the first shooting.<ref>{{cite news | title='Cho's Manifesto'| url =http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18186053/ | publisher=MSNBC | date=] | accessdate = 2007-05-06}}</ref> He also stated that the content not shown included "over the top profanity" and "incredibly violent images." He expressed hope that the unreleased material is never made public.<ref>{{cite news | title='Brian Williams on the Impact of the Virginia Tech Videos'| url =http://www2.oprah.com/tows/slide/200704/20070424/slide_20070424_284_104.jhtml | date=] | accessdate = 2007-11-20}}</ref>

===Contents===
In his manifesto, Cho mentioned the Columbine killers ], denigrated former teachers ] and ], and made threatening messages to ] ], ] ], and ] ]. In one of the videos, Cho said:
{{quotation|Do you know what it feels to be spit on your face and to have trash shoved down your throat? Do you know what it feels like to dig your own grave? Do you know what it feels like to have your throat slashed from ear to ear? Do you know what it feels like to be torched alive? Do you know what it feels like to be humiliated and be impaled upon on a cross? And left to bleed to death for your amusement? You have never felt a single ounce of pain your whole life. Did you want to inject as much misery in our lives as you can just because you can?...I didn't have to do this. I could have left. I could have fled. But no, I will no longer run. It's not for me. For my children, for my brothers and sisters that you &#91;fucked&#93;, I did it for them… When the time came, I did it. I had to...You had a hundred billion chances and ways to have avoided today, but you decided to spill my blood. You forced me into a corner and gave me only one option. The decision was yours. Now you have blood on your hands that will never wash off.<ref name="NBC package">Johnson, A. (] ]). MSNBC. Retrieved on ] ].</ref>
}}

], a MSNBC justice correspondent, said that Cho lacked logical governance, suggesting that Cho was under severe emotional distress.<ref>Borowsky, S. (] ]). ''The Breeze'' (student newspaper of ]). Retrieved on ] ].</ref> In the video, Cho also railed against deceitful ]s on campus, rich kids, ], and ] while, in another video, he compared himself to ],<ref>Westcott, K. (] ]). BBC News (UK). Retrieved on ] ].</ref> explaining that his death will influence generations of "defenseless people". Media organizations, including '']'', ], ] and the ], even raised questions and speculated the similarity between a stance in one of Cho's videos, which showed him holding and raising a hammer, and a pose from promotional posters for the South Korean movie '']'', a film based on the ]ese ] about a businessman who was kidnapped away from his wife and infant daughter by an unknown assailant and imprisoned in a small room for 15 years.<ref>. The Associated Press. Retrieved on ] ]</ref><ref>Gordon, D. (] ]). ''Newsweek''. Retrieved ] ].</ref><ref>. (2007, 23, 2007). ''The New York Times''. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Investigators found no evidence that Cho had ever watched ''Oldboy'', and the professor who made the initial connection to ''Oldboy'' had since discounted his theory that Cho was influenced by the movie.<ref>{{cite news | url= http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/bal-to.oldboy20apr20,0,5585502.story | title= Cho's link to violent movie is discounted | publisher=Baltimore Sun |date=] ] | accessdate = 2007-04-26}}</ref>

==Writings==
===Plays===
In 2006, Cho wrote a short, profanity-laden one-act play entitled '''''Richard McBeef''''' in connection with a class assignment. The play focused on John, a 13-year-old boy whose father died in a boating accident, and Richard McBeef, John's stepfather and ex-football player. When Richard touches John during an attempt at a father-to-son talk, the boy abruptly claims that his stepfather is ] him. John then accuses his stepfather of murdering his actual father and repeatedly says that he will kill Richard. John, Richard and Sue (John's mother) are embroiled suddenly in a major argument. Richard retreats to his car to escape the conflict, but John, despite claiming repeatedly that Richard was abusing him, joins his stepfather in the car and harasses him. The play ends with John trying to shove a banana-flavored cereal bar into his stepfather's throat; Richard, hitherto a passive character, reacts "out of sheer desecrated hurt and anger" by "swinging a deadly blow" at the boy.<ref>Cho Seung-Hui. The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on ] ].</ref>

In a second play, '''''Mr. Brownstone''''', written by Cho for another class assignment, three 17-year-olds (John, Jane, and Joe) sit in a ] while discussing their deep hatred for Mr. Brownstone, their 45-year-old mathematics teacher. The three characters claim that Mr. Brownstone mistreats them (using the phrase "ass-rape"). John wins a multimillion-dollar jackpot from one of the slot machines, and Mr. Brownstone, amid volleys of profanity from the students, reports to casino officials that the three characters were underage and had picked up the winning ticket. Mr. Brownstone tells the casino officials that he had won the jackpot and that the minors took it from him.<ref name="AOL-Brownstone">Cho Seung-Hui. "Mr. Brownstone" AOL News. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> "]" was also the name of a ] song about ],<ref>Plummer, K. & Carricaburu, J. (] ]). Retrieved on ] ].</ref><ref> (] ]). The Times Online (UK). Retrieved on ] ].</ref> and one page from Cho's play consisted of lyrics from the song.<ref name="AOL-Brownstone" />

===Paper written by Cho for a fiction writing class===
Approximately one year before the carnage at Virginia Tech, Cho also wrote a paper for an assignment in the "Intro to Short Fiction" class that he took during the spring 2006 semester. In that paper, Cho wrote about a mass school murder that was planned by the protagonist of the story but, according to the story, the protagonist did not follow through with the killings. During the proceedings of the Virginia Tech panel, the panel was unaware of the existence of the paper written by Cho for his fiction writing class.<ref name=missing-paper>Horwitz, S. (] ]). ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved on August 29, 2007.</ref>

When information surfaced about the paper, the Virginia Tech panel learned at that time that only the Virginia State Police and Virginia Tech had copies of the unreleased paper in their possession. The Virginia State Police reported that, although it had a copy of the paper, Virginia law prevented them from releasing the paper to the panel because it was part of the investigative file in an ongoing investigation.<ref name=missing-paper/>

Virginia Tech, on the other hand, had known about the paper, and officials at the school discussed the contents of the paper among themselves in the aftermath of the shootings. According to Governor Kaine, " was expected to turn over all of Cho's writings to the panel" during the proceedings of the Virginia Tech panel.<ref name=missing-paper/>

After some members of the Virginia Tech panel complained about the missing paper, Virginia Tech decided to release a copy of the paper to the panel during the latter part of the week of ] ].<ref name=missing-paper/> Although the Virginia Tech panel has since received the paper written by Cho for the fiction writing class, the precise contents of that paper have not been released to the public.<ref name=missing-paper/>

===Reactions to writings===
], a playwriting professor at Virginia Tech, has acknowledged that Cho wrote both plays in his class. The plays are less than 12 pages long and have several grammatical and typographical errors. Falco believed that Cho was drawn to writing because of his difficulty communicating orally. Falco said of the plays, "They're not good writing, but at least they are a form of communication."<ref>{{cite news | first=Jonathan | last=Mandell | title='Cho's Professor to Classmates: Don't Feel Guilty"|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/18/vatech.professor/index.html | publisher=CNN | date=] | accessdate = 2007-04-18}}</ref> Another professor who taught Cho characterized his work as "very adolescent" and "silly," with attempts at "]" and "elements of violence."<ref>{{cite news | first=Wingert | last=Pat | coauthors=Lynn Waddell and Arian Campo-Flores | title='He Was Just Off' | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18161472/site/newsweek/ | publisher=Newsweek | date=] | accessdate = 2007-04-17}}</ref> ] ] examined the plays written by Cho, and he discounted the merit of the plays in an essay for '']''.<ref name="king-ew-04202007">{{cite news | first=Stephen | last=King | title=On Predicting Violence |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20036014,00.html | publisher=Entertainment Weekly | date=] |accessdate = 2007-04-21}}</ref>

Classmates believed "the plays, were really morbid and grotesque."<ref>T. Rees Shapiro. "Cho's classroom colleague reacts to tragedy" (] ] 2:06 PM). . Last accessed ] ].</ref> Ian MacFarlane, Cho's former classmate, stated that, "when we read Cho's plays, it was like something out of a nightmare. The plays had really twisted, macabre violence that used weapons I wouldn't have even thought of."<ref name="Dark writing led to a referral for counseling for Va. Tech gunman">{{cite news
|title=Dark writing led to a referral for counseling for Va. Tech gunman
|author=Apuzzo, Matt | publisher=Chron.com | date=] | accessdate = 2007-04-18}}</ref> When Stephen Davis, a senior who was also in Cho's class, read "Richard McBeef," he turned to his roommate and said "this is the kind of guy who is going to walk into a classroom and start shooting people."<ref>, NY Times, 4-22-2007, ''Corrections Appended''</ref> Anna Brown, another student in the class, sometimes joked with her friends that Cho was "the kind of guy who might go on a rampage killing."<ref>Wingert, P., Waddell, L. & Campo-Flores, A. (2007, April 17). ''Newsweek''. Retrieved on May 6, 2007.</ref>

According to CBS News, "Cho Seung-Hui's violent writing &#91;and&#93; loner status fit the Secret Service shooter profile,"<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/17/eveningnews/main2696236.shtml|title= Warning Signs From Student Gunman||page= |author= |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=] ]|publisher= CBS News}}</ref> referring to a 2002 ] study that was conducted after the Columbine massacre, with violent writing cited as one of the most typical behavioral attributes of school shooters. The U.S. Secret Service concluded the study by saying that "&#91;t&#93;he largest group of &#91;school shooters&#93; exhibited an interest in violence in their own writings, such as poems, essays or journal entries," while other school shooters showed an interest in violent video games, violent movies and violent books.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/preventingattacksreport.pdf|title= Safe School Initiative Final Report||page= 26|author= |last= Vossekuil|first= Bryan |coauthors= et al.|date= May 2002|publisher= U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education}}</ref>

Users of ] created filmed adaptations of "Richard McBeef."<ref>Coyle, J. (2007, April 20).''The Kindred Times''. Retrieved on ] ]</ref> '']'' created a parody "]" entry describing Richard McBeef.<ref></ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|3}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*{{PDF||859&nbsp;]<!-- application/pdf, 879626 bytes -->}} – CNN (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing)
*{{PDF||914&nbsp;]<!-- application/pdf, 935980 bytes -->}} – ''The Washington Post'' (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing)
* – MSNBC (NBC News)
*
* (August 2007) (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing all sections of the report)

{{Persondata
|NAME= Cho, Seung-hui
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Seung Cho, Cho Seung-hui
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=]
|DATE OF BIRTH= ] ]
|PLACE OF BIRTH= ], ]
|DATE OF DEATH= ] ]
|PLACE OF DEATH= ], ], ]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cho, Seung-Hui}}

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Revision as of 10:25, 16 April 2008

poopy