Understanding Virginia Tech

On April 16th, 2007 Seung-Hui Cho brought devastation to the campus of Virginia Tech. Why? We still do not know, and we may never know because along with himself, he took the lives of thirty-two other classmates and professors. This is one of the most tragic of all of these school shooting massacres ever.

On this day, a regular Monday, Cho made a decision. He went into the co-ed dormitory at West Ambler Johnston Hall and around 7:15 in the morning he took the lives of Emily J. His/her and Ryan C. Clark, only two of the thirty-two he will soon take the lives of.

After he made his devastating mark on West Ambler Johnston Hall, he then mailed a package to NBC which has been postmarked 9:01am. This package contained video of Cho self-interviewing himself and contained pictures of Cho pointing various objects at a digital camera, including the murder weapon.

Cho then trekked across campus to Norris Hall where the bloodshed continued. Norris Hall is the building that contains the Engineering Science and Mechanics Program. This is where our killer took the lives of 30 more individuals including five professors and twenty-five students, until pulling the final trigger on himself. There are reports saying that Cho chained the doors to four of the classrooms that he took lives in. Also it is reported that some of the classmates, to escape, jumped out of the second story windows of the hall.

One of these massacres martyrs is Professor Liviu Librescu who is said to have held the door to his classroom shut while he let his students escape through the windows until Cho finally fired five bullets through the door taking the life of this professor. Partahi Mamora Halomoan Lumbantoruan was another martyr of this shooting. After being shot and only wounded, he jumped on top of Guillermo Colman protecting his body as Cho fired one more shot at Partahi Mamora Halomoan Lumbantoruan killing him, but Colman came out alive all thanks to this one brave Lumbantoruan. Zach Petkewicz barricaded the door to the classroom that he was in protecting all of the other students in the room until Cho fired a shot through the door killing Zach Petkewicz but saving the rest of the class.

No one still knows the reason as to why Cho decided to make this terrible decision April 16, 2007. There has been some speculation, but so far not much of it makes much sense. In his videos that were sent to NBC Cho was likening himself to Jesus Christ and he is seen also making comments about his hatred for the wealthy.

There really is no rhyme or reason why anyone would want to pursue such an act, but what is done is done. I just hope that the officials will find measures to reduce this type of action. All we can do now is remember and honor those of which whom will be missed, and remember them in our prayers.