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Virginia Tech massacre
Students gather to mourn at the convocation after the shooting
LocationBlacksburg, Virginia, United States
DateMonday, April 16, 2007
7:15 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m. (EDT)
TargetVirginia Tech
Attack type
School shooting, mass murder, murder-suicide, massacre
Deaths33 (including the perpetrator)[1] [2]
Injured29[2]
PerpetratorsSeung-Hui Cho
MotiveHatred against specific classes

The Virginia Tech massacre was a university shooting that unfolded as two separate attacks approximately two hours apart on April 16, 2007, on the campus of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. A shooter killed 32 people[3] and injured 29 more before committing suicide[4].

The shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, was a South Korean national and a senior English major at Virginia Tech.[4] He had a history of incidents at the school, including allegations of stalking,[5] referrals to counseling,[6] and a 2005 declaration of mental illness by a Virginia special justice.[7]

Attacks

Aerial photo showing location of Norris and West Ambler Johnston Halls.
Further information: Virginia Tech massacre timeline

West Ambler Johnston shootings

Cho shot his first victims at around 7:15 a.m. EDT in West Ambler Johnston Hall, a co-ed dormitory that houses 895 students. A young woman, Emily J. Hilscher of the Woodville section of Rappahannock County, Virginia, and a male resident assistant, Ryan C. Clark of the Martinez section of Columbia County, Georgia, were killed.[4] Cho left the scene and soon thereafter mailed a package, postmarked 9:01 a.m.,[8] to NBC News containing various writings and recordings.

Norris Hall shootings

Approximately two hours after the initial shootings, Cho walked over to Norris Hall, which houses the Engineering Science and Mechanics program, and chained the main entrance doors shut. He then entered several classrooms and began shooting students and faculty members.[2][9]

By the end of this second attack, 30 student and faculty victims lay dead in at least four classrooms and a second-floor hallway of the building. He then shot and killed himself.[10] The exact number of shots fired is still in question, but is estimated at "between 175 and 225."[11]

At least 11 murder victims were found in a French class, five in a German class, 10 in a hydrology class, two in a solid mechanics class, and one in the hallway.[10] An eyewitness told a reporter for the student newspaper, the Collegiate Times, that a shooter shot about 19 people attending a German class in Norris Hall, including the professor.[12][13][14] Only four people emerged unscathed from the German class. Erin Sheehan, one of the four, said the shooter "peeked in twice, earlier in the lesson, like he was looking for someone, somebody, before he started shooting."[10]

Virginia Tech student Jamal Albarghouti used his mobile phone to capture video footage of part of the attack from the exterior of Norris Hall; this was later broadcast on many news outlets.[15]

French class students take cover in Holden Hall.

Student Nikolas Macko described to BBC News his experience at the center of the shootings. He had been attending a mathematics class (near the German class) and heard gunshots in the hallway. At least three people in the classroom barricaded the door using a table. At one point, Macko said, the gunman attempted to open the classroom door and then shot twice into the room; one shot hit a podium; the other went out the window. The gunman reloaded and shot into the door, but the bullet did not penetrate into the room. Macko stated there were "many, many shots" fired.[9]

Cho was found dead in Couture-Nowak's classroom from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, having shot himself as police closed in.

In the aftermath, high winds related to the April 2007 nor'easter prevented emergency medical services from using helicopters for evacuation of the injured.[16] Victims injured in the shooting were treated at Montgomery Regional Hospital in Blacksburg, Carilion New River Valley Medical Center in Radford, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital in Roanoke, and Lewis-Gale Medical Center in Salem.[17]

Resistance

There were several scenes of mutual help and resistance against the perpetrator:

  • Professor Liviu Librescu held the door of his classroom, Room 204, shut while Cho attempted to enter it. Librescu was able to prevent the gunman from entering the classroom until his students had escaped through the windows, but was eventually shot five times and killed.[18][19]
  • Jocelyne Couture-Nowak tried to save the students in her classroom, after looking Cho in the eye in the hallway. One of the few students who survived from the French class told his family that Couture-Nowak ordered her students to the back of the class for their safety in a fatal attempt to barricade the door.[20]
  • Another student, Zach Petkewicz, barricaded the door of Room 205 with a large table, helping to save 11 lives while Cho shot several times through the door.[26][27][28]
  • Waleed Shaalan, a Ph.D. student in Civil Engineering and Teaching Assistant from Zagazig, Egypt, though badly wounded, distracted the gunman from a nearby student after the gunman had returned to the room. He was shot a second time and died.[29]
  • Katelyn Carney, Derek O'Dell, and their friends barricaded the door of the German class after the first attack and attended to the wounded. Cho returned minutes later, but O'Dell and Carney prevented him from re-entering the room. Both were injured.[30][31]

Perpetrator

Main article: Seung-Hui Cho
One of the photographs of Seung-Hui Cho sent to NBC News on the day of the massacre.

The shooter was identified as 23-year-old Seung-Hui Cho (originally identified as "Cho Seung-hui"),[4] a South Korean national living in Virginia as a permanent resident. An undergraduate at Virginia Tech, Cho lived in Harper Hall, a dormitory west of West Ambler Johnston Hall. A spokesman for Virginia Tech has described him as "a loner."[2] Several former professors of Cho have stated that his writing was disturbing, and he was encouraged to seek counseling.[6][32][6] He had also been investigated by the university for stalking and harassing female students.[5] In 2005, Cho had been declared mentally ill by a Virginia special justice and ordered to seek outpatient treatment.[7] Cho's 85-year-old great aunt in South Korea stated that Cho's parents offered autism as an explanation after moving to the US, and that she never heard updates about the boy.[33] It is unclear whether the autism label was accurate, however; in Korean culture, social taboos prohibit discussion of mental illness.[34] Cho's flat emotional affect was evident through middle and high school years, during which he was bullied for speech difficulties.[35]

Cho's motives for the killings remain unclear. Early reports suggested that the killing was the result of a domestic dispute between Cho and his supposed former girlfriend Emily Hilscher, but those who knew her claimed she had no prior relationship with Cho.[36] In the ensuing investigation, police found a suicide note in Cho's dorm room, which included comments about "rich kids," "debauchery," and "deceitful charlatans" on campus. On April 18 2007, NBC News received a package from Cho time-stamped between the first and second shooting episodes. It contained an 1,800-word manifesto,[37] photos, and 23 digitally recorded videos,[38] in which Cho likened himself to Jesus Christ and expressed his hatred of the wealthy.

Some family members of the victims were upset that the photos and video sent by the killer were broadcast and cancelled interviews with NBC in protest. A Virginia State Police spokesman said he was "rather disappointed in the editorial decision to broadcast these disturbing images":[39]

They're the type of things that those of us in my walk of life usually have to contend with and deal with. And I just hate that a lot of folks that are not used to seeing that type of image had to see it.

— Superintendent Colonel Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police

NBC defended itself, stating that the organization had intense internal debate before broadcasting the footage.[40] The American Psychiatric Association, however, urged the media to withdraw the footage from circulation, arguing that publicizing it "seriously jeopardizes the public’s safety by potentially inciting 'copycat' suicides, homicides and other incidents."[41]

Victims

Main article: List of victims of the Virginia Tech massacre

The gunman shot 61 people before committing suicide and killed the following 32:

West Ambler Johnston Hall Dormitory (first shooting)
  • Emily Jane Hilscher[4]
  • Ryan Christopher Clark[42]


Norris Hall Engineering Building (second shooting)
Students
Faculty

Responses to the incidents

University response

Virginia Tech cancelled classes for the rest of the week and closed Norris Hall for the remainder of the semester.[1] The University also offered counseling assistance for students and faculty and held an assembly on Tuesday, April 17, 2007. Additionally, the Red Cross dispatched several dozen crisis counselors to Blacksburg to help Virginia Tech students cope with the tragedy.[1]

Virginia Tech President Charles Steger stated at the first news conference that authorities initially believed the first shooting at the West Ambler Johnston dormitory was a domestic dispute and that the gunman had left campus.[63] Authorities identified a "person of interest" in the first shooting, Karl Thornhill, who was Emily Hilscher's boyfriend. Hilscher's roommate, Heather Haugh, told authorities that Thornhill owned firearms and had taken both girls to a shooting range. Thornhill was pulled over while leaving Tech's campus after the first shooting, and made authorities suspicious by contradicting Haugh's account.[64] Because authorities quickly apprehended him, they determined that the threat of further violence was minimal and consequently did not justify additional action by the University.[65] However, as Thornhill was being questioned, reports of shooting at Norris Hall came in, indicating that the police had not apprehended the perpetrator.[66] Thornhill has subsequently been released, but remains an important witness in the case, according to police.[66]

After the incident, Virginia Tech announced that the students killed during the massacre would be posthumously awarded their degrees during commencement ceremonies.[67] Because of the incident's impact, university officials also gave students options to abbreviate their semester coursework and still receive a grade.[68]

Criticism of Virginia Tech response

Some students blamed the university, saying that administrators should have immediately notified the community and locked down the campus.[69]

Governor Timothy Kaine of Virginia appointed an independent review panel to "provide a thoughtful, objective analysis of the circumstances leading up to, during, and immediately after Monday's horrible events." The panel is led by Retired Virginia State Police Superintendent Colonel Gerald Massengill and includes, among others, former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge and Gordon Davies, Director for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia for 20 years.[70]

Student response

Virginia Tech students mourn the victims at a candlelight vigil.

Despite overwhelming student support for the Virginia Tech administration, some Virginia Tech students questioned why the University had not been locked down after the first shooting.[3] After becoming aware of the incident, students communicated with their family and peers about their conditions, using telephones or social networking websites.[71][72] Many students created Facebook memorial pages for fellow students.[73] Fearing retribution from other students, Kim Min-kyung, a South Korean student at Virginia Tech, said South Korean students were gathering in groups, "as it could be dangerous."[74] Lee Seung-wook, head of Virginia Tech's Korean Student Association, said, "I am worried about possible racial prejudices that this horrible incident may bring to Asians, especially Koreans."[75]

Law enforcement response

After the second attack, the Virginia Tech Police, along with the Blacksburg Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and the Virginia State Police immediately responded following their active shooter protocols. Local SWAT teams were activated and responded.[76] The Federal Bureau of Investigation also joined the investigation. Bureau spokesman Richard Kolko said that there was no immediate evidence to suggest a terrorist incident, but that the agency would explore all avenues.[72] Former FBI terrorism task force member Mike Brooks told CNN.com[77] that perhaps the school's warning system should not rely so heavily on e-mail to notify a campus comprising more than 2,600 acres, hundreds of buildings and 26,000 students, faculty and staff, and Kangalert responds with SMS notifications for university administrations. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) immediately responded to the incident with 10 agents on-scene identifying the weapons and performing forensics.[78]

Government response

President George W. Bush shakes the hand of the Virginia Tech Student Government Association's President James Tyger following his speech at the school's convocation.

Virginia's U.S. Senators John Warner and Jim Webb both offered their condolences.[79] Virginia Governor Tim Kaine returned early from a trip to Tokyo, Japan[72] and declared a "state of emergency" in Virginia, allowing the governor to immediately deploy state personnel, equipment, and other resources to help out in the aftermath of a tragedy.[80]

On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate observed a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims. The Senate also approved a resolution on Monday night extending condolences to the victims of the shooting.[81] Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy postponed by two days the scheduled April 17 2007 testimony of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales concerning the firings of eight United States prosecutors.[82] In a statement, Gonzales said that the Justice Department would provide support and assistance to the local authorities and victims as long as they were needed.[83]

According to a spokesman, President George W. Bush was said to be horrified by the rampage and offered his prayers to the victims and the people of Virginia. Bush and his wife Laura also attended the convocation at Virginia Tech on Tuesday.[84] Bush stated that the nation was "shocked and saddened" by the shooting. He also pledged assistance to law enforcement and the local community.[85] The White House flag flew at half staff, and Bush also requested all flags be so lowered until sundown on Sunday, April 22 2007.[84]

Deputy White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said, "The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed."[86][4]

The Internal Revenue Service and Virginia Department of Taxation granted six month extensions to individuals affected by the massacre.[87]

Responses from other educational institutions

In addition to official condolences from many universities, both inside of the United States and abroad, many universities have initiated examinations of existing and possible local response procedures.[88]

The University of Virginia has offered psychological and medical services[89][90] and UVA athletes will don VT logos.[91] Radford University is providing free temporary housing for the Virginia State Police officers investigating the incident.[92] Wake Forest University and Clemson University have offered grief counselors and other assistance.[93][94] East Carolina University pledged $100,000 in general assistance funds.[95]

Penn State students pay tribute to the fallen Hokies at the Nittany Lions spring football game

At the annual Blue and White football game at Penn State, students displayed a large "VT" in tribute to the victims.[96]

Korean reaction

There was shock and a sense of public shame in South Korea when the citizenship of the gunman was later revealed. A candlelight vigil was held outside the Embassy of the United States in Seoul.

Korean President Roh Moo-hyun expressed his deepest condolences.[97] Korea's ambassador to the United States asked Koreans living in America to fast for repentance.[98] The foreign minister, Song Min-soon, also mentioned that safety measures have been established for Koreans living in the United States in apparent references to fears of possible reprisal attacks against Koreans within the United States.[99] A ministry official hoped the shooting would not "stir up racial prejudice or confrontation."[100]

There was later criticism of the Korean government's overly defensive posture, and some commentators contrasted the lack of a backlash in the U.S. to the Korean public's passionate response when a U.S. military vehicle in Korea accidentally killed two girls.[101]

Cho family response

Some family members expressed sympathy for the victims' families and described Cho's history of mental and behavioral problems. Cho's maternal grandfather was quoted in The Daily Mirror referring to Cho as a "son of a bitch" and that it "serves him right that he died" with the victims.[33] On Friday, April 20, Cho's family issued a statement of grief and apology, written by his sister, Sun-Kyung Cho.[102]

Other reactions

  • Atlanta Falcons quarterback and Virginia Tech alumnus Michael Vick has teamed up with the United Way to donate $10,000 to assist families affected by the shooting. Vick's foundation said the money will be used to provide help with funeral expenses, transport for family members and other support services.[103]
  • Fox Broadcasting Company has indefinitely pulled the "Player under Pressure" episode of its Bones series since the episode revolves around the discovery of bones on a college campus. Fox is not sure when it will air, but "out of sensitivity to the victims and families touched by this senseless tragedy, we felt the change was appropriate," a Fox spokesperson told E! News.[104]
  • Major League Soccer team Houston Dynamo will wear special uniforms with Virginia Tech colors during their game against Chicago Fire on April 29. The jerseys will be auctioned off after the game and all proceeds (as well as $8 for every ticket sold) will be donated to the university's Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.[citation needed]
  • There was a widespread international response, including condolences and sympathy from many heads of states and international figures,[105] including Pope Benedict XVI.[106] and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.[107]

Historical context

See also: School shooting and List of school massacres

This incident is the deadliest shooting on a college campus, exceeding the 16 deaths[108] of the University of Texas shooting by Charles Whitman in 1966. It is the second deadliest school-related killing in U.S. history, behind the 1927 Bath School disaster which claimed 45 lives, including 38 school children, through the use of explosives.[108]

With a death toll of 32 victims plus the killer,[108] this is the deadliest single-perpetrator shooting in United States history, surpassing the Luby's massacre of 1991, in which 24 people were killed.[108] Internationally, it is surpassed by the 1982 massacre in South Korea of 57 innocent people by off-duty police officer Woo Bum-kon and the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in the Australian state of Tasmania where 35 people were killed by gunman Martin Bryant. Although deadlier shootings have occurred in the U.S., they have occurred during times of war or insurrection that predate WWII, largely involving militias or military groups.[109]

The shooting has been likened to the Columbine High School massacre,[110] the 1999 school massacre in which two students killed 12 students, one teacher, and wounded 24 others before turning the guns on themselves. In the media package sent to NBC, Cho discussed "martyrs like Eric and Dylan" apparently referring to the Columbine High School gunmen.[32] This massacre occurred four days before the eight-year anniversary of the Columbine shooting.

Inaccurate media reports

Main article: Inaccurate media reports of the Virginia Tech massacre

Many inaccurate media reports were noted following the tragedy. Early media reports had incorrectly identified a Chinese American and a Chinese national as the suspected shooter. The actual shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, was a South Korean national with U.S. permanent residency.

Gun control debate

See also: Gun politics in the United States

The massacre reignited the gun control debate in the United States, with proponents of gun control legislation claiming guns are too accessible, citing that Cho, a mentally unsound individual, was able to purchase two semi-automatic pistols. Proponents of gun rights and the Second Amendment claimed Virginia Tech's gun-free "safe zone" policy ensured that none of the students or faculty would be armed, guaranteeing that no one could stop Cho's rampage. Others pointed out that adequate communication between government entities could have prevented Cho from acquiring the weapons, without compromising Second Amendment rights.

Background

Law enforcement officials have described finding a purchase receipt for at least one of the guns used in the assault.[111] The gunman had apparently waited one month after buying his Walther P22 .22 caliber pistol before he bought his second pistol, a Glock 19.[112] Cho used a 15-round ammunition magazine in the Glock.[113] The serial numbers on the weapons were filed off, a Federal felony, but the ATF National Laboratory was able to reveal them and perform a firearms trace.[113]

Virginia Tech has a policy forbidding unauthorized possession or storage of firearms on campus by students, faculty, and staff, even by state licensed concealed weapons permit holders. This policy has been challenged in recent years. In April 2005, a student licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia to carry concealed weapons was discovered possessing a concealed firearm in class. While no criminal charges were filed, it is unknown whether disciplinary action was taken by the school for violating Tech policy due to student confidentiality.

University spokesman Larry Hincker, in response to challenges over the authority of the university to enforce such a policy, said "We think we have the right to adhere to and enforce that policy because, in the end, we think it's a common-sense policy for the protection of students, staff and faculty as well as guests and visitors."[114]

Virginia bill HB 1572, intended to prohibit public universities from making "rules or regulations limiting or abridging the ability of a student who possesses a valid concealed handgun permit … from lawfully carrying a concealed handgun" was introduced into the Virginia House of Representatives by delegate Todd Gilbert. The university opposed the bill, which died in subcommittee in January of 2006. Spokesman Larry Hincker responded "I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus."[115]

The sale of firearms to permanent residents in Virginia is legal as long as the buyer shows proof of residency.[116] Additionally, though, Virginia has a law that limits purchases of handguns to one every 30 days.[117] Federal law requires a criminal background check for handgun purchases from licensed firearms dealers, and Virginia checks other databases in addition to the Federally-mandated NICS. Federal law also prohibits those "adjudicated as a mental defective" from buying guns, and Seung-Hui Cho should have been prohibited from buying a gun after a Virginia court declared him to be a danger to himself in late 2005 and sent him for psychiatric treatment.[118]

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 “involuntarily committed” or ruled mentally “incapacitated.”[119]

The federal law defines adjudication as a mental defective to include "determination by a court, board, commission or other lawful authority" that as a result of mental illness, the person is a "danger to himself or others."[118] Because of gaps between federal and Virginia state laws, the state failed to report Cho's legal status to the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and thus failed to prevent Cho's purchases.[118]

Prior to the shootings, Bradford B. Wiles, a graduate student at Virginia Tech, published an editorial in 2006 in the Roanoke Times calling for a change in Virginia Tech's policy prohibiting the carrying of licensed firearms.[120]

U.S. media response

The response to how gun control affected the massacre was predominantly divided.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, an American gun control group, said that it was easy for an individual to get powerful weapons and called for "common-sense actions to prevent tragedies like this from continuing to occur."[121] The New York Times ran an editorial calling for more gun control, saying that it was a "horrifying reminder that some of the gravest dangers Americans face come from killers at home armed with guns that are frighteningly easy to obtain."[122]

The Conservative Voice contrasted the Virginia Tech massacre with the Appalachian School of Law shooting in 2002, when a disgruntled student killed three students before he was subdued[123] by two other students with personal firearms they had retrieved from their vehicles, declaring that "All the school shootings that have ended abruptly in the last ten years were stopped because a law-abiding citizen—a potential victim—had a gun."[124]

The Washington Post asked if the tragedy would have occurred if Virginia law did not prohibit the carrying of lawfully concealed weapons on college campuses.[125]

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine condemned this debate, saying it was "loathsome" that "People who want to take this within 24 hours of the event and use it as a political hobbyhorse." Kaine said on April 17 2007: "To those who want to make this into some sort of crusade, I say take this elsewhere."[126]

International response

The Virginia Tech shootings sparked criticism of U.S. gun control laws and gun culture around the world. In the UK, a Times headline read "Only the names change—And the numbers," with the article asking, "Why ... do Americans continue to tolerate gun laws and a culture that seems to condemn thousands of innocents to death every year, when presumably, tougher restrictions, such as those in force in European countries, could at least reduce the number?"[127] The Swedish paper Goteborgs-Posten commented that "without access to weapons, the killings at Virginia Tech may have been prevented" because "the fundamental reason is often the perpetrator's psychological problems in combination with access to weapons."[127] In Japan, the Asahi Shimbun commented that "the mass shooting.... reminded us once again how disturbingly common gun fatalities are in the United States," and went on to note, "Humans become enraged and desperate, and a gun in the hands of an enraged or desperate individual could be a sure recipe of disaster or tragedy."[128] In China, American studies expert Yuan Peng wrote in the China Daily that "This incident reflects the problem of gun control in America."[127] The International Herald Tribune commented, "Sympathy was not enough at the time of Columbine, and eight years later it is not enough. What is needed, urgently, is stronger controls over the lethal weapons that cause such wasteful carnage and such unbearable loss."[129] The Canadian Globe and Mail noted that "If the frequency of mass shootings is uniquely American, it's also uniquely American to label 220 school shootings in six years as rare."[130]

Other international commentators were cynical about the prospect of tougher gun laws or changes to the U.S. gun culture. BBC's Washington correspondent Matt Frei wrote "America is at its most impressive when it grieves and remembers. But will the soul-searching ever produce legislation and will it make schools safer?" He further predicted that "[d]espite this week's bloodbath there will be no overwhelming demand for gun control in this country."[131] Similarly, The Economist commented, "The Columbine killings of 1999 failed to provoke any shift in Americans' attitudes to guns. There is no reason to believe that this massacre, or the next one, will do so either."[132] Magnus Linklater, writing in The Times, echoed the sentiment by observing that stricter gun control laws would be ineffective without "a wholesale shift in the national culture" and a "move against the glorification of the gun, which encourages not only the ownership but the use of arms."[133]

In addition to the international media response, while many non-U.S. governmental officials refrained from commenting on gun control in connection with the incident, some governmental officials criticized the U.S. gun control policies. Most notably Australian Prime Minister John Howard said tough Australian legislation[134] introduced after a mass shooting in Tasmania in 1996 had prevented a problematic gun culture in Australia: "We took action to limit the availability of guns and we showed a national resolve that the gun culture that is such a negative in the United States would never become a negative in our country."[135] Kurt Beck, head of the German social democrats, stated "greater gun control could limit the level of armament in US society."[136]

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  42. ^ Coroner confirms student's death, The Roanoke Times
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  46. ^ a b "Victims in Virginia Tech massacre – MSNBC.com". MSNBC.
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  48. ^ "Police: Virginia Tech shooter an English major, 23," CNN, April 17, 2007
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  50. ^ "Indonesian among the dead in U.S. campus massacre". Retrieved 2007–04–18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  51. ^ "ALERT: Lincoln student among Virginia Tech victims," The Providence Journal, April 17, 2007
  52. ^ Wolfy Becker. "Peruvian student among the victims in Virginia Tech massacre". Journal Peru. Retrieved 2007–04–17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  53. ^ "Virginia shootings: The Victims". BBC.
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  57. ^ "Professor among Virginia Tech victims". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007–04–17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  58. ^ "Quebecer among 32 Virginia Tech victims". CBC News. Retrieved 2007–04–17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  59. ^ a b "The Victims". New York Times. 2007–4-19. Retrieved 2007–04–21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  60. ^ Holocaust survivor among those killed Daily Herald Retrieved on 4/18/07
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  65. ^ a b Shaila Dewan and John M. Broder. "Two-Hour Delay Is Linked to Bad Lead," The New York Times, 18 April 2007
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  69. ^ "Governor Kaine Announces Panel Will Independently Review Virginia Tech Tragedy". Commonwealth of Virginia Office of the Governor. 2007–04–19. Retrieved 2007–04–20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  70. ^ "Students Turn From School to Social Networking Sites for InfoThe University first informed students via e-mail at 9:26 AM, over two hours after the first shooting, warning them of the danger and canceling classes.
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  72. ^ "Technology becomes a coping mechanism." Associated Press. April 18 2007. Retrieved April 19 2007.
  73. ^ Korea Fears Prejudice with Shooting Link, Associated Press April 17 2007. Retrieved April 17 2007.
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  75. ^ The Red and Black, University of Georgia. "University students express shock in response to slayings at Va. Tech".
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  77. ^ My Fox Washington DC. "Bush Calls Virginia Tech Shooting 'Terrible Tragedy'".
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  79. ^ Governor declares state of emergency The Associated Press
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  81. ^ Gonzales hearing postponed, SFGate.com, April 16, 2007
  82. ^ Gonzales offers support, CBS News, April 16, 2007
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  84. ^ "President Bush Shocked, Saddened by Shootings at Virginia Tech ," White House, April 16, 2007
  85. ^ Press Briefing by Dana Perino, April 16, 2007
  86. ^ Day of mourning declared as Cho's stalking revealed, The Roanoke Times, 12:41 p.m. April 18 2007.
  87. ^ "The higher education community lends its support". Retrieved 2007–04–19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  88. ^ "University of Virginia Holds Candlelight Vigil to Honor Virginia Tech Victims." Virginia Tech. April 18 2007. Retrieved April 18 2007
  89. ^ Casteen, John. "Statement from President Casteen on Events at Virginia Tech." University of Virginia. not dated.
  90. ^ "Virginia Athletics Teams To Display Virginia Tech Logos". Retrieved 2007–04–21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  91. ^ "Special Announcement" Radford University. not dated.
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  93. ^ "Clemson President Responds to Virginia Tech Tragedy." Clemson University. not dated.
  94. ^ "ECU Pledges $100,0000 to Hokie Hope fund". Retrieved 2007–04–21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  95. ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=ncf&id=2845037
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  97. ^ "South Koreans Told to Fast over Massacre". Telegraph.co.uk. April 19, 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help) Retrieved April 19, 2007
  98. ^ "Seoul expresses shock as gunman identified as Korean", ChannelNewsAsia.com, April 18, 2007
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  102. ^ "Vick Gives $10,000 for Va. Tech Families". AP. 2007–04–18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  103. ^ "Fox Pulls Bones in Wake of College Massacre". E! Online. 2007–04–17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  104. ^ "The World Sends Condolences to Virginia Tech." Associated Press 18 April 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2007
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  107. ^ a b c d These totals includes the murderer or murderers. In the University of Texas shooting, different sources claim between 15 and 17 victim deaths. In the Bath disaster, 44 were killed by the bombs, with the killer's wife beaten to death earlier.
  108. ^ See the Mountain Meadows massacre, the Wounded Knee massacre and the Fort Pillow massacre, among others, for examples of deadlier mass shootings in US history.
  109. ^ "Editorial". The Recorder. Central Connecticut State University. Retrieved 2007–04–18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  110. ^ "Gunman ID'd as student; tests tie same gun to both attacks". New York Newsday. Retrieved 2007–04–17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  111. ^ "Shooter had guns more than 1 month before Va. shootings". WDBJ-TV. Retrieved 2007–04–18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  112. ^ a b "Guns were easy to come by." The Washington Post. 18 April 2007. Retrieved April 18 2007/
  113. ^ Virginia Tech's ban on guns may draw legal fire
  114. ^ Gun bill gets shot down by panel
  115. ^ "Shooter Identified as Seung-Hui Cho". ABC News. Retrieved 2007–04–17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  116. ^ Code of Virginia, §18.2–308.2:2(P) (2005).
  117. ^ a b c Luo, Michael (2007–04–21). "U.S. Rules Made Killer Ineligible to Purchase Gun". New York Times. Retrieved 2007–04–21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  118. ^ U.S. Rules Made Killer Ineligible to Purchase Gun - N.Y. Times, Michael Luo, 4-21-2007
  119. ^ "Unarmed and vulnerable". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved 2007–04–17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  120. ^ News Release: Nation Again Grieves Over A Tragedy Of Monumental Proportions, CNN, April 17
  121. ^ Eight Years After Columbine, New York Times, April 17.
  122. ^ "Helping to Stop a Killer: Students Went After Law School Gunman" by Rex Bowman, Richmond Times Dispatch, 5/5/2002.
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