Virginia Tech Shooter identified as Cho Seung Hui, a South Korean student

BLACKSBURG, Va. - A 23-year-old senior from South Korea was behind the massacre of at least 30 people locked inside a university classroom building in the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history, the university said Tuesday.

Ballistics tests also found that one of the guns used in that attack was also used in a shooting two hours earlier at a dormitory that left two people dead at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State Police said.

Police identified the shooter as Cho Seung-Hui (pronounced Choh Suhng-whee), of Centreville, Va., who was a senior in the English Department at Virginia Tech. Cho, a resident alien who immigrated to the United States from South Korea in 1992, lived on campus in Harper Residence Hall.

The bloodbath ended with Cho’s suicide, bringing the death toll from two separate shootings — first at the dormitory, then in a classroom building — to 33 and stamping the campus in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains with unspeakable tragedy.

‘He was a loner’
“He was a loner, and we’re having difficulty finding information about him,” said Larry Hincker, the university’s associate vice president for community relations.

Cho’s fellow residents of Harper Hall said few people knew the gunman, who kept to himself.

“He can’t have been an outgoing kind of person,” Meredith Daly, 19, of Danville, Va., told MSNBC.com’s Bill Dedman.

Students live six to a suite, said Stephen Scott, a freshman engineering student from Marlton, N.J., and do not necessarily know other residents.

Scott said police and FBI agents went through the dorm Monday night showing a picture of Cho and trying to find anybody who recognized or knew him. He did not know whether they were successful.
Scott said the prevailing mood among the students was one of stunned resignation.

“We’re confused, outraged, in disbelief. This is such a beautiful campus,” he said, his voice trailing off.

In Centreville, where Cho’s family lived in an off-white, two-story townhouse, people who knew Cho concurred that he kept to himself.

“He was very quiet, always by himself,” said Abdul Shash, a neighbor. Shash said Cho spent a lot of his free time playing basketball and would not respond if someone greeted him. He described the family as quiet.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry expressed its condolences, saying that there was no known motive for the shootings and that South Korea hoped the tragedy would not “stir up racial prejudice or confrontation.”

Ballistics evidence points to student
Two law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the information had not been officially announced, said Cho’s fingerprints were found on the two guns used in the shootings. The serial numbers had been filed off, the officials said.

A law enforcement official said Cho was carrying a backpack that contained receipts for the purchase of a Glock 9mm pistol in March.

Col. Steve Flaherty, superintendent of the Virginia State Police, said it was reasonable to assume that Cho was the shooter in both attacks but that the link was yet definitive.

“There’s no evidence of any accomplice at either event, but we’re exploring the possibility,” he said.

At least 26 people were taken to hospitals after the second attack, some of them seriously injured. Twelve students remained in hospitals in stable condition Tuesday, officials said.

Bush to attend service
State, local and federal investigators spent the night collecting, processing and analyzing evidence from within Norris Hall, which housed engineering classes, offices and laboratories. The deceased were recovered from at least four classrooms on the second floor and a stairwell. Cho was discovered in a classroom among the victims.

All of the deceased were transported to the medical examiner’s office in Roanoke for examination and identification. The names of the deceased students and faculty will be released once all of the victims are positively identified and their families are notified.

President Bush planned to attend a memorial service Tuesday afternoon at the university, the White House said, and Gov. Timothy Kaine was flying back to Virginia from Tokyo for the 2 p.m. convocation.

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Names of people killed at Virginia Tech

The following have been identified as people killed in Monday’s massacre on the Virginia Tech campus. Information has been compiled from The Associated Press, NBC News, CollegeMedia.com (the Virginia Tech student newspaper), MSNBC, Facebook and other media outlets.

We will keep updating the list as more information becomes available

Total Casualities: 32 + shooter (33)

Breakdown: 27 Students, 5 professors + 1 shooter

Names of Students killed at Virginia Tech

1. Ross Abdallah Alameddine, 20, of Saugus, Mass. He was a sophomore English major who was gunned down in French class.

2. Ryan Clark, 22, from Martinez, Ga., a biology, English and psychology major. He was a resident adviser on the fourth floor of the dorm where the rampage began.

3. Daniel Perez Cueva, 21, a student from Peru who was studying international relations. He was shot during French class, according to his mother, Betty Cueva.

4. Caitlin Hammaren, 19, of Westtown, N.Y., was a sophomore majoring in international studies and French, according to officials at her former school district.

5. Emily Jane Hilscher, 19, from Woodville, Va., according to family friend John McCarthy. She was a freshman majoring in animal and poultry sciences.

6. Matt La Porte, age unknown, from Dumont, N.J., a freshman majoring in university studies.

7. Jarrett Lane, 22 , from Narrows, Va., a senior majoring in civil engineering.

8. Henry Lee, age unknown, from Roanoke, Va., a freshman majoring in computer engineering.

9. Juan Ortiz, 26, a graduate student in civil engineering from Puerto Rico

10. Mary Karen Read, 19, of Annandale, Va., according to her aunt, Karen Kuppinger, of Rochester, N.Y.

11. Reema Samaha, 18, from Centreville, Va., a freshman whose passion was dance.

12. Leslie Sherman, age 20, a sophomore majoring in history and international studies.

13. Maxine Turner, age unknown, from Vienna, Va., a senior majoring in chemical engineering.

14. Erin Peterson , Centreville, Virginia. Age unknown, graduated in 2006 from Westfield High School in Chantilly, Va., along with a second victim, Reema Samatha. That is the same high school that the alleged gunman, Cho Seung-Hui, graduated from three years earlier

15. Jeremy Herbstritt, 27, of Johnstown, Penn., according to WJAC TV. A graduate student in engineering, he had received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State

16. Daniel O’Neil, 22, of Lincoln, R.I. A graduate student in environmental engineering, he received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Lafayette College last year

17. Brian Bluhm, 25, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a civil engineering graduate student.

18. Michael Pohle, 23, of Flemington, N.J., graduated from Hunterdon Central High, according to school officials.

19. Austin Cloyd, age unknown, born in Charlotte, N.C was a freshman majoring in international studies and French.

20. Waleed Shaalan (not confirmed)

21. Julia Pryde, age unknown, a graduate student from Middletown, N.J.

22. Matthew Gwaltney , age unknown, of Chester Va., was majoring in environmental engineering.

23. Nicole White, age unknown, of Carrollton, Va., a junior majoring in international studies and German.

24. Rachael Hill, 18, of Richmond, Va., a freshman. She had graduated from Grove Avenue Christian School.

25. Lauren McCain, age unknown, of Hampton, Va. An undergraduate majoring in international studies.

26. Partahi Lombantoruan, 34, of India, was a civil engineering doctoral student, according to Kristiarto Legowo, a spokesman for the foreign ministry.

27. Minal Panchal, age unknown, of Mumbai, India. She was an architecture major.

Minal’s profile page on Orkut: http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx?uid=7532880825063317819

Professors and Instructors killed at the Virginia Tech Massacre

1. Christopher James Bishop, 36, an instructor in German and German literature.

2. Dr. Kevin P. Granata, age unknown, an engineering science and mechanics professor.

3. G.V. Loganathan, 51, an Indian-born lecturer at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

4. Dr. Liviu Librescu, 76, an engineering science and mathematics lecturer. He was born in Romania, immigrated to Israel in 1978 and moved to Virginia in 1985.

5. Jocelyne Couture-Nowak , age unknown, a French language teacher and former Montreal resident

Killer

1. Identified as Cho Seung-Hui, a 23 year old student from South Korea. He was a senior English major at Virginia Tech

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Virginia Tech Shooting, 22 confirmed dead including Students

At least 22 people were killed Monday in a shooting rampage on the Virginia Tech campus, police said. They said the gunman was among the dead. In addition to those killed, officials said at least 28 people were wounded. Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum said the gunman was dead, but that he didn’t know how he died.

UPDATE: Monday, April 17th 2007 10:13AM
As of now, 33 people are confirmed dead. One person from West Ambler Johnston Hall and at least 20 people from Norris Hall have been killed. The shooter as well has been killed, but it is uncertain as to whether it is a student or not. The names of 13 students and 4 professors killed during this shooting incident have been identified with information gathered from various sources.

TOP Points

    * Gunman massacres 33 at two Virginia Tech sites
    * Survivor: He fired at professor first, then students
    * Some students jumped from windows to escape
    * Other students locked themselves in teacher’s office
    * It is the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history
    * Gunman identified as Cho Seung-hui, a 23-year-old English major from South Korea
    * Cho called a loner by university official
    * Reasonable to assume Cho was shooter in both dorm and classroom, police say
    * Police: Victims found in four classrooms, stairwell

Up until Monday, the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history took place in 1966 at the University of Texas, where Charles Whitman climbed to the 28th-floor observation deck of a clock tower and opened fire. He killed 16 people before he was gunned down by police. In the Columbine High bloodbath near Littleton, Colo., in 1999, two teenagers killed 12 fellow students and a teacher before taking their own lives.

Virginia Tech reported shootings at opposite sides of the 2,600-acre campus, beginning at about 7:15 a.m. local time at West Ambler Johnston, a co-ed residence hall that houses 895 people, and continuing about two hours later at Norris Hall, an engineering building.

At least one student was killed in the dorm and others were killed in the classroom, Flinchum said.

After the shootings, all entrances to the campus were closed. Dining halls have been cleared to resume operations.

The university is requesting that students limit movement while police continue their investigation.

NBC’s Pete Williams said two law enforcement officials told him the gunman killed himself. They also said the gunman used a 9-mm handgun and a .22-caliber pistol during the rampage, Williams reported. He said the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was trying to track the weapons.

Officials also suspect that the gunman had chained the doors of the classroom building to prevent victims from fleeing.

A White House spokesman said President Bush was horrified by the rampage and offered his prayers to the victims and the people of Virginia.

“The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed,” spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

The university set up a meeting place for families to reunite with their children at the Inn at Virginia Tech. Counseling services will be available until 9:00 p.m. tonight(April 16) in Ambler Johnston’s third cross-over lounge for those who reside in West or East Ambler Johnston. General counseling will be available to the rest of the campus community at McComas Hall until 9:00 p.m.

“Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions,” said university President Charles Steger. “The university is shocked and indeed horrified.” .

According to a post on the Virginia Tech website,

Two shootings on campus today have left 22 confirmed dead, including students.

Families wishing to reunite with students are suggested to meet at the Inn at Virginia Tech. The university is planning a convocation for tomorrow at noon at Cassell Coliseum for the university community to come together to begin to deal with the tragedy.

Counseling is available in the Bowman Room in the Merriman Center (part of the athletic complex) for employees who seek assistance following today’s events.

All faculty and staff have been released and asked to go home effective immediately.

The university will open tomorrow at 8 a.m. but classes are cancelled.

Statement by Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger

The university was struck today with a tragedy of monumental proportions. There were two shootings on campus. In each case, there were fatalities. The university is shocked and horrified that this would befall our campus. I want to extend my deepest, sincerest and most profound sympathies to the families of these victims which include students There are 22 confirmed deaths.

We currently are in the process of notifying families of victims. The Virginia Tech Police are being assisted by numerous other jurisdictions. Crime scenes are being investigated by the FBI, University Police, and State Police. We continue to work to identify the victims impacted by this tragedy. I cannot begin to covey my own personal sense of loss over this senselessness of such an incomprehensible and heinous act The university will immediately set up counseling centers. So far centers have been identified in Ambler Johnston and the Cook Counseling Center to work with our campus community and families.

Here are some of the facts we know:

At about 7:15 a.m. this morning a 911 call came to the University Police Department concerning an event in West Ambler Johnston Hall. There were multiple shooting victims. While in the process of investigating, about two hours later the university received reports of a shooting in Norris Hall. The police immediately responded. Victims have been transported to various hospitals in the immediate area in the region to receive emergency treatment.

We will proceed to contact the families of victims as identities are available.

All classes are cancelled and the university is closed for the remainder of today. The university will open Tuesday at 8 a.m. but classes are cancelled. The police are currently staging the release of people from campus buildings.

Families wishing to reunite with the students are suggested to meet at the Inn at Virginia Tech. We are making plans for a convocation tomorrow (Tuesday) at noon at Cassell Coliseum for the university community to come together to begin to deal with the tragedy.

Related Links:

1. Podcast:: Statement by President Steger (3.1 MB; Length 3:21)

2. Virginia Tech Website

3. Virginia Tech Campus Alerts page

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National Archives Intern sells rare historic documents on EBay

For most part Interns have a good time during summer, learning valuable skills while at the same time contributing to their companies, earning some money and networking with other interns and co-workers over the summer. While this is the good side, the dark side rears its ugly head once in a while.

The United States National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records. It is also charged with increasing public access to those documents. NARA is officially responsible for publishing acts of Congress, presidential proclamations and executive orders, and federal regulations. 

Denning McTague, a 40 year old with a Master’s degree in History and Library Science was working as an unpaid intern with the National Archives last summer pleaded guily on Wednesday(04/04/07) to stealing 164 civil war documents including an official announcement of President Lincoln’s death, and putting about 150 of these historic documents up for sale on eBay. The good news is that all but 3 of these rare documents have since been recovered.

How he did it?

McTague confessed to investigators that he used a yellow legal pad to sneak the documents out. The stolen Civil War-era documents included telegrams concerning the troops’ weaponry, the War Department’s announcement of Lincoln’s death sent to soldiers, and a letter from famed cavalryman James Ewell Brown Stuart, prosecutors said.

U.S Attorney Pat Meehan said

“Mr. McTegg was an insider. He knew the value of these documents, he knew the significance of what they might be able to generate on the outside market and used the opportunity with growing ability now of people to take advantage of eBay.”

Paul Brachfeld, inspector general for the National Archives, said

“The documents are invaluable and getting them back wasn’t easy, especially since some had been sold overseas. They’re all the history of our democracy.”

McTague pleaded guilty to one federal count of stealing government property. U.S. District Judge Stewart Dalzell set his sentencing for July 12. The maximum sentence would be 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but federal sentencing guidelines call for much less.

[Read more]

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