Virginia massacre

This week's massacre at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University sent shockwaves all around the world. Let me, first of all, offer my most heartfelt condolence to all the families who have lost a member.

Secondly , let me tell you that as soon as I heard what happened, I started to read all the news reports just imaginable and I want to write here about what exactly happened and its consequences.

1. FACTS

The deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history occured on 16 April 2007 when Cho Seung-Hui shot down two people in a dormitory at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University around 7:15 local time. No one could have predicted that this was only the beginning. Two and a half hours later Cho stormed Norris Hall (an engineering classroom building) and chained the front doors from inside. There he executed 30 people and himself.

2. ABOUT THE KILLER

Cho Seung-Hui, 23, was an American citizen whose family emigrated to the USA from South Korea in 1992. He is described as a depressed and deeply disturbed young man who had come to authorities attention several times before, mainly for his grotesque writing and his harassing of fellow female students. It is reported that he was bullied by his fellow students for the way he spoke and for not interacting socially with other people. He even spent some time in a mental health facility in 2005, but he abandoned it on his own free will.

3. ABOUT THE VICTIMS

His victims were predominantly students who had all their life in front of them as well as plans, friends and family.Their untimely death will never be forgotten.

4. THE KILLER'S MANIFESTO

In between the killings Cho Seung-Hui sent NBC a long manifesto about his problems along with the reasons for his senseless crime. Amongst other things he wrote:

"You had everything you wanted. Your Mercedes wasn’t enough, you brats. Your golden necklaces weren’t enough, you snobs. Your trust fund wasn’t enough. Your vodka and Cognac weren’t enough. All your debaucheries weren’t enough. Those weren’t enough to fulfill your hedonistic needs. You had everything."

5. COULD THE HORRIFIC KILLING HAVE BEEN AVOIDED?

The main evidence that the disaster could have been avoided is the e-mail which reached the students on campus two hours after the first killing. In it stood that there was no reason for the students not to attend their classes and that the situation is under control. If the campus had been secured and classes suspended, many victims would be still alive. The college authorities and the police say in their defence that they had believed the first killing to be an isolated incident.

6. GUN POLICY IN AMERICA

This latest killing raises again questions about the weak American gun laws as Cho easily purchased high firepower weapons. A poll conducted by NBC in the aftermath of the killing states that only 36% of Americans believe that stronger gun control could have prevented the shooting. A great many of them also believe that as America is a free country, having a gun is each citizen's civil right. It is unofficialy estimated that around 192 million Americans own a gun.

7. MY OPINION

I am still in a state of shock because of the massacre. At night lying in bed I imagine how the families of the victims must feel knowing that they have lost a loved one for all time. How tragic. All this young people losing their life because a disturbed young man didn't now how else to cope with his demons. Do I hold that the massacre could have been avoided?I do. As his out-of-the-ordinary behaviour was well-known to authorities, they could have found a way to efficiently deal with it. The campus should also have been evacuated after the first killing. Still, what does it matter now to talk about what could have happened if....
The crucial step to take is to do something about the safety at universities and the American gun law. I sincerely hope this event will have a long-lasting effect on the public and that something will change for the better.