Seung-Hui Cho: Difference between revisions
→Biography: copyedit |
Isocyanide (talk | contribs) →See also: have added explanation on talk page |
||
| Line 57: | Line 57: | ||
* [[School massacre]] (including list from 1764 — present) |
* [[School massacre]] (including list from 1764 — present) |
||
* [[List of school massacres]] |
* [[List of school massacres]] |
||
* [[Woo Bum-Kon]] |
|||
==Notes== |
==Notes== |
||
Revision as of 19:41, 17 April 2007
 | This article is currently being heavily edited because its subject has recently died. Information about their death and related events may change significantly and initial news reports may be unreliable. The most recent updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
| This article may be affected by the following current event: Virginia Tech massacre. Information in this article may change rapidly as the event progresses. Initial news reports may be unreliable. The last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
Cho Seung-hui | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Status | Deceased (suicide) |
Template:Koreanname Template:Korean name Cho Seung-hui (Korean: 조승희; January 18, 1984[1]–April 16, 2007) was the spree shooter in the Virginia Tech massacre[2][3][4] of April 16, 2007. He then committed suicide as law enforcement closed in on him.
Biography
Cho was born in South Korea and immigrated to the United States with his parents in September 1992.[5]
According to Virginia Tech, Cho was an undergraduate English major in his senior year. He was a South Korean national and a permanent legal resident of the United States.[6] Cho had a permanent address in Centreville, Virginia, an unincorporated community in western Fairfax County located thirty miles west of Washington, D.C. and a few miles directly south of Washington Dulles International Airport.[7] His parents run a dry-cleaning business and his sister is an alumna of Princeton University. Cho graduated in 2003 from Westfield High School in Chantilly, Virginia.[8]
A university spokesman described Cho as a "loner," and said university officials were having a hard time finding information about him.[9] A Korean club on campus reported that he rarely joined or talked with them at all.[10] Cho is also believed to have been taking medication for depression.[11]
Attributed writings
The head of the Virginia Tech English Department, quoted a collegue, Lucinda Roy, as describing Cho as "troubled".[12] Roy was concerned about an assignment that Cho turned in last year, a one-act play he wrote entitled "Richard McBeef." The play is about a thirteen year old boy who accuses his stepfather of molesting him. The boy talks of killing his father and they get into a violent argument. The play ends with the stepfather striking the boy with a "deadly blow." A copy of the play can be found on The Smoking Gun website.
In a second play attributed to Cho posted online at AOL, a group of teenagers plot to kill a teacher who is ruining their lives, abusing all the kids in the class (apparently metaphorically) while in a casino. They then sing the lyrics to Mr Brownstone by Guns N Roses. Later one of the kids wins a huge jackpot, and the teacher Mr. Brownstone claims it's his. [13]
Virginia Tech massacre
According to television news reports on April 17, Cho left a note criticizing "rich kids," "debauchery," and "deceitful charlatans" before killing two people in a dormitory room on April 16 2007.[14] Two hours later, Cho crossed the campus to continue his rampage in a classroom building.[4] Police identified Cho by matching fingerprints on the guns used in the shootings with immigration materials.[4] The words "Ismail Ax" were found written on his arm in red ink.[15] Officials have described finding a March 9 2007, purchase receipt for a Glock 9mm [14] used in the assault[16] and note that permanent residents in Virginia may legally purchase firearms with proof of residency.[17] Cho bought the second weapon, a Walther .22 caliber pistol, a week earlier. The serial numbers on both guns had been filed off. [18].
Cho committed suicide in Norris Hall with a gunshot to the head[19] as police closed in on him[20].
"Ismail Ax"
The words "Ismail Ax" were found written on Cho's arm. Their meaning has not yet been identified, but there has been much speculation in online communities.[21] "Ismail," which can also be written as "Ishmael," is the main character in Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick. Ishmael, in the novel, says that he is going out to sea because he is an outcast. Cho has also been called a "loner" (see above), and perhaps uses the name to relate to Ishmael's situation and feelings of being an outcast. Cho was studying to become an English Major before this event. Also, "Ismail Ax" may refer to a story told by Ishmael, son of Ibrahim, in which Ibrahim, after receiving the "truth" from God destroys wooden idols using an ax. These idols were worshiped by people in a temple in Babylon.[citation needed] It is speculated that Cho used this name and story to show he was carrying out his own view of the "truth."[citation needed]
See also
- Virginia Tech massacre
- School massacre (including list from 1764 — present)
- List of school massacres
- Woo Bum-Kon
Notes
- ^ NPR
- ^ VT front page
- ^ John M. Broder. "Virginia Gunman Identified as a Student". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ a b c "Gunman Identified as Massacre at Virginia Tech Enters Second Day". ABC News. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ "Campus gunman lived in U.S. since 1992 - official". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ Gunman's writings raised concerns
- ^ Centreville Student Was Va. Tech Shooter
- ^ Gunman Is Described as Quiet and 'Always by Himself'
- ^ Gunman identified in Virginia Tech shootings
- ^ "범인은 '외톨이'" 조승희 누구인가, retrived from Chosun.com 07-04-17
- ^ "Virginia Tech Police Still Search for Motive After Identifying Shooter".
- ^ "Killer's Note: 'You Caused Me to Do This'". ABC News. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ [ Virginia Killer's Violent Writings The Smoking Gun. Accessed 4-17-2007
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Newsdaywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Aamer Madhani. "Sources: College gunman left note", Chicago Tribune, April 17, 2007
- ^ "Gunman ID'd as student; tests tie same gun to both attacks". New York Newsday. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ "Shooter Identified as Cho Seung-Hui". ABC News. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ "Killer's Note: 'You Caused Me to Do This'". ABC News. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ David Schoetz, Ned Potter, Richard Esposito and Pierre Thomas and the staff of ABC News. "Killer's Note: 'You Caused Me to Do This'". ABC News. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "CNN profile of Cho". CNN.
- ^ "Online Community Speculation". Retrieved 2007-04-17.
External links
- Recent deaths
- Current events
- 1984 births
- 2007 deaths
- Deaths by firearm in the United States
- Korean immigrants to the United States
- People from Fairfax County, Virginia
- Spree shootings
- Spree killers
- School killings in the United States
- Murder-suicide
- South Korean murderers
- South Korean students
- Suicides by firearm
- People from Virginia