Webloggin » Va. Tech Shooter Identified, ABC Live Report - Update

Update: Fox news is reporting that Seung Hui Cho was on anti-depressants, was increasingly violent and that he railed against rich kids. His behavior was so erratic that he had been referred to counseling. In other words somebody knew he was a time bomb waiting to go off.

BLACKSBURG, Va. — The gunman suspected of carrying out the Virginia Tech massacre that left 33 people dead was identified Tuesday as a English major whose creative writing was so disturbing that he was referred to the school’s counseling service.

News reports also said that he may have been taking medication for depression, that he was becoming increasingly violent and erratic, and that he left a note in his dorm in which he railed against “rich kids,” “debauchery” and “deceitful charlatans” on campus.

Other indicators of trouble can be seen in the fact that he was supposedly stalking women and had set a fire in his dorm room at some previous time. This is kind of disturbing in the aspect that someone decided he should be allowed to stay on campus after such events. I know from experience that there is a process on down from the dorm RA’s to the school administrators; somebody missed some very clear red flags.

“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.”

She said Cho was referred to the counseling service, but she said she did not know when, or what the outcome was. Rude refused to release any of his writings or his grades, citing privacy laws.

The Chicago Tribune reported on its Web site that he left a note in his dorm room that included a rambling list of grievances. Citing identified sources, the Tribune said he had recently shown troubling signs, including setting a fire in a dorm room and stalking some women.

Original Report:
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ABC news has identified the shooter in the VA Tech massacre.

April 17, 2007 — Seung Hui Cho, a permanent resident of the United States, a Korean national and a Virginia Tech student has been identified as the gunman in the shootings that left 33 people dead on the Virginia Tech campus Monday, ABC News has learned.

The student left a “disturbing note” before killing two people in a dorm room, returning to his own room to re-arm and entering a classroom building on the other side of campus to continue his rampage, sources said.

Cho’s identitiy has been confirmed with a positive fingerprint match on the guns used in the rampage and with immigration materials. It is believed that he was the shooter in both incidents yesterday. Sources say Cho was carrying a backpack that contained receipts for a March purchase of a Glock 9 mm pistol, sources said. Witnesses had also told authorities that the shooter was carrying a backpack. Sections of chain similar to those used to lock the main doors at Norris Hall, the site of the second shooting that left 31 dead, were found inside a Virginia Tech dormitory, sources confirmed to ABC News.

They are also reporting that the guns were the same in both shootings based on ballistics evidence. Further information indicates that Cho acted alone according to the State Police.

It looks like the Hot Air message board information was correct.

According to Fox News Cho was a loner. The victims were found in 4 separate classrooms.

Allahpundit at Hot Air put up a map of the campus indicating the distance between the two shooting. He also notes the ABC gun control flop in the silly Brian Ross advocacy report that came up yesterday afternoon.

Mary Katherine Ham notes some of the heroes and has pictures of some of the victims. It is a somber and sorrowing sight.

In the midst of tragedy, there are always heroes. Meet Prof. Liviu Libresc, a 75-year-old Israeli teacher who was killed while holding the classroom door shut so his students could escape through the windows. Amazing.

Others:

Captains Quarters Discuss the shooting fallout noting in particular the New York Times rush on gun control and gun rights activists who make the situation seem cut and dry. I believe both sides have a valid stake in the discussion but generally it is best to wait for all the facts before rushing to judgment. Unfortunately the media parade and the speed of the internet requires that the discussion starts before facts make it to the table; often times that results in erroneous and confusing information.

I personally believe in the effectiveness of concealed carry as a deterrent. It doesn’t mean that it would have prevented this tragedy but perhaps it could have helped. We know for sure that not allowing legally licensed individuals to carry guns on campus did nothing to make the students safer in this case. Therein lies the problem, the criminals don’t give a crap about the law.

Previous Webloggin News and Discussion on the Va. Tech Shooting: