On April 16, 2007, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University suffered a terrible shooting.
The first shooting occurred at West Ambler Johnston Hall, a dormitory, where two people were killed; the main attack was a school shooting at Norris Hall, a classroom building, where the shooter chained the doors the main entrance doors shut and fired into four classrooms and in a stairwell, killing thirty more people.
When police arrived, the shooter killed themselves.
The weapons used were two pistols: a .22 caliber Walther P22 semi-automatic handgun and a .9mm semi-automatic Glock 19 handgun.
The shooter was 23-year-old Seung-Hui Cho, a senior at Virginia Tech. He was a South Korean citizen with U.S. permanent resident status who was majoring in English. He had a troubled history at the age of 3, he was described as shy, frail, and wary of physical contact. In eighth grade, Cho was diagnosed with severe depression as well as selective mutism, an anxiety disorder that inhibited him from speaking in certain situations and/or to specific people. Some believe that he had autism but it was unclear, his family sought therapy to help him.
Early reports indicated Cho was bullied for speech difficulties in middle school. Still, the Virginia Tech Review Panel was unable to confirm this, or other reports that he was ostracized and mercilessly bullied for class-, height-, and race-related reasons in high school, causing some anti-bullying advocates to feel that the Review Panel was engaging in an authority-absolving whitewash. Supposedly, high school officials had worked with Cho's parents and mental health counselors to support him throughout his sophomore and junior years. Cho eventually chose to discontinue therapy.
The Massengill Report detailed numerous incidents of aberrant behavior, beginning during Cho's junior year, that illustrated his deteriorating mental condition. Several of Cho's former professors reported that his writing as well as his classroom behavior was disturbing, and he was encouraged to seek counseling. He was also investigated by the university for stalking and harassing two female students. In 2005, Cho had been declared mentally ill by a Virginia special justice and ordered to seek outpatient treatment
The mass shooting reignited the gun politics debate in the U.S., with proponents of gun control legislation arguing that guns are too accessible, citing that Cho, a mentally unsound individual, was able to purchase two handguns despite state laws that should have prevented such a purchase.
The shootings also renewed debate surrounding Virginia Tech's firearms ban. The university has a general ban on the possession or storage of firearms on campus by employees, students, and volunteers, or any visitor or other third parties, even if they are concealed handgun permit holders. In April 2005, a student permitted by the state to carry concealed handguns was discovered in possession of a concealed firearm while in class. While no criminal charges were filed, a university spokesman said Virginia Tech had "the right to adhere to and enforce that policy as a common-sense protection of students, staff, and faculty as well as guests and visitors"
Many people lost their lives. Those were:
Ross Alameddine: 20 years old and sophomore English major. Christopher James Bishop: 35 years old and German instructor teaching in Noris Hall where he was killed. Brian Bluhm: Graduate student and was working towards his master's degree in Water Resources. Ryan Clark: 22 years old and a senior with a triple major In biology, English, and psychology. He was a month away from graduation. Austin Cloyd: International studies major. Cloyd's father teaches accounting at the university. Jocelyne Couture-Nowak: French Instructor. Kevin Granata: 45 years old and professor of engineering science and mechanics. Served in the military. Matthew Gwaltney: 24 years old and a graduate student in civil and environmental engineering. He was close to finishing his degree. Caitlin Hammaren: 19 years old and a sophomore in international studies and French. A talented musician. Played the violin and sangJeremy Herbstritt: 27 years old. Graduate student in civil engineering. Rachael Elizabeth Hill: 18 years old and a freshman. Emily Hilscher: 19 years old and a freshman, majoring in animal and poultry sciences. Jarrett Lane: 22 years old and senior studying civil engineering. Played the trombone, ran track, and played football and basketball. Matthew La Porte: 20 years old and sophomore, majoring in University studies. He was attending Virginia Tech on an Air Force ROTC scholarship and also was a member of the Corps of Cadets. Henry Lee: 20, was a freshman majoring in computer engineering.Liviu Librescu: 76, was an engineering science and mathematics lecturer. Librescu tried to keep the gunman from entering the room so that others could jump out of the windows to save themselves.G. V. Loganathan: 51, was a professor of civil and environmental engineering. He taught courses in hydraulics, hydrology, and water resources engineering and was a core adviser for undergraduates in the department. Partahi Lumbantoruan: 34, was a civil engineering doctoral student from Indonesia. His family told the Associated Press he wanted to become a teacher in the United States and they sold property and cars to pay his tuition. Lauren McCain: 20 years old and an international studies major. Daniel O'Neil: 22, was an engineering graduate student. O'Neil also played guitar and wrote songs he recorded and posted on his Web site.Juan Ortiz: 26, a graduate student studying civil engineering. Ortiz was a quiet and dedicated son who played in a salsa band with his father.Minal Panchal: 26, was a graduate student from India who wanted to become an architect. Daniel Perez Cueva: 21 years old and majoring in international relations. Erin Nichole Peterson: A freshman majoring in international studies. She had been a basketball standout at Westfield High School in Chantilly, Va., and was inducted into the National Honor Society as a high school senior in 2005. Michael Pohle Jr.: 23 years old and was a biology major close to graduating from Virginia Tech. Julia Pryde: 23 years old and a graduate student. Mary Karen Read: 19, was a freshman from Annandale, Va. She hadn't yet picked a major at Virginia Tech. Reema Samaha: 18, was a freshman from a close-knit Centreville, Va. She loved acting, dance, and drama and was studying French. Waleed Mohamed Shaalan: Originally from Egypt, was a doctoral student in civil engineering.Leslie Sherman: A sophomore majoring in history and international relations. Sherman wanted to join the Peace Corps after college.Maxine Turner: A senior from Vienna, Va., was majoring in chemical engineering.Nicole White: 20, was a junior majoring in international studies.
This Case shows another example of,
Weapons in the wrong hands
YOU ARE READING
Weapon in the wrong hands
Não FicçãoCases where the weapons have landed in the wrong hands and the consequences of that. Do not get political in the comments. I am creating this book for the victims so they would not be forgotten and to show what happened when weapons are in the wro...
