Seung Hui Cho and the Virginia Tech Shooting

Seung Hui Cho

and the Virginia Tech Shooting

Figure 1

Figure 2

School Shooting Crisis

The United States has endured high numbers of fatalities due to school shootings. These incidents have occurred in consistent patterns over the past decades. As of March 28th, 2025, there have been 428 school shootings since the Columbine shooting which occurred in 1999 (1). The most deadliest contributor to this crisis was the Virginia Tech University school shooting. Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia is known for its renowned engineering programs and research opportunities. In 2007, this school had about 28,000 students enrolled in the university who would later become aware of the darkness a fellow student would impose on them.

On the morning of April 16, 2007, Seung Hui Cho remained steadfast in his decision to attack not only his school but his fellow peers. Entering into the dorm room of West Ambler Johnston Hall, a sanctuary of safety for 895 students, he shoots and kills a student and Resident Assistant. Police failed to find him at an adequate time allowing for Cho to continue his attack almost three hours later after the initial shooting. He enters Norris Hall wielding two handguns and multiple rounds of ammunition. With no remorse for his faults, he continues to add grief and creates pain and suffering for the students of Norris Hall. Students and professors seeking an environment of education are filled with nothing but torment and want for refuge. Seung Hui Cho is to blame for the loss of 32 people specifically, 5 faculty members and 27 students, it is important to remain aware of the victims and the trauma the surviving members of the Virginia Tech family suffered. The Virginia Tech shooting remains the deadliest school shooting in America.

Observing some of the contents of his package to NBC we get to see the type of person Cho wanted to be perceived as. Amongst the contents, we will analyze images and clips of his video from an NBC report. We will also observe the two weapons Cho used in his attack and acknowledge the power the two handguns possess. As Norris Hall was a significant location for his attacks we will see a 3D rendering of the building outlining the exact classrooms he entered allowing a better visualization of the attack.

Figure 3

April 16, 2007

The violent attack caused by Seung Hui Cho at Virginia tech university caused tremendous fear and pain to the victims of the deadliest school shooting in America. The victims endured torment at the hands of a fellow student with no reasoning and no remorse. Seung Hui Cho demonstrated long-term planning for the heinous crime that ended the lives of 32 students and faculty.

3D Layout of West Ambler Johnston Hall and Norris Hall

Cho entered West Ambler Johnston Hall at around 7 in the morning and proceeded to the fourth floor of the dormitory. He entered Emily Hilscher's room and shot her. Soon after Ryan Clark, a resident assistant on duty, went to investigate the noise and followed the same attack as Emily. The two passed away shortly. After he began his shooting at West Ambler Johnston Hall he proceeded his way back to his dorm where he picked up his package to be delivered to NBC. He made his way to his local post office and completed another step in his plan.

Making his way towards Norris Hall he climbed up the stairwell and into four classrooms. Eyewitnesses and camera footage show he paced back and forth from the hall. He entered the classrooms that were left unlocked and was denied entry to others where students and faculty had understood the situation. Some classrooms created blockades in addition to the locked door to prevent him from entering. For the other unfortunate classrooms, he was able to kill and traumatize those present. Managing to kill 30 students and faculty in that time he was soon approached by a SWAT team 10 minutes after his attack. As police made their way into Norris Hall he committed suicide with a gunshot to the head.

Figure 4

Guns used

The Glock 19 and Walther P22 were the two firearms Cho bought in pursuit of his crimes. He purchased these two firearms five weeks before his crimes took place (2). Nothing was preventing him from these purchases since he had no previous criminal record and was of age to purchase a firearm. Cho had weeks to reevaluate himself but in the end, he left believing that killing his fellow peers in such a manner was acceptable. He wielded these two handguns while he shot and killed his peers and demonstrated his power over them. These two weapons ended the lives of educators and students and wounded many others. In the end, he took his own life with his very form of power.

Personally shot photographs

Following his first shooting at West Ambler Hall, Seung Hui Cho proceeded to his room to pick up his package for NBC and headed to the nearest post office. The NBC package was marked off and received by the post office at 9:01 am, approximately 40 minutes before his second shooting (3). Cho's package contained photographs and a disk containing a confessional video. He propped his camera up and posed for the camera. Not in the cheery way you would expect a young 23-year-old college student to but in the way of a psychotic man. Holding up guns to the camera and his face he shows his true colors.

Figure 5

Figure 6

Images were delivered to NBC two days after the shooting

He demonstrated great grandiosity by sending in such images with the hopes of receiving more attention for his atrocious acts. He took his time to take multiple photos with different heinous poses. He dedicated his time to picking the perfect images that he felt represented him the most accurately. These images present his deranged mindset and articulate the type of person he wished to be seen as.

Confessional Video

Cho pressed the record on the camera and projected his thoughts with profanity and rage. Blaming others he claims he was left with only “one option”. Exclaiming to the world his reasonings he fails to answer the long-sought reason for why. Cho sought out attention and prepared this message with the hopes of having millions of eyes watching his message on a televised platform. Multiple cuts in between the videos indicate he sought out perfectionism. Sending his confessional video and 27 images of himself he proceeded to Norris Hall.

Figure 7

The school shooting epidemic is a painful but undeniably apparent crisis in the United States. This long-lasting crisis has affected approximately 394,000 students who have personally experienced a school shooting according to research done by the Washington Post (4). Many have attempted to explain the reasoning behind these atrocious attacks but an explanation is still inconclusive. Trying to alleviate the situation with gun control, mental health outreach programs, and early intervention have been attempted to combat the problem. With each perpetrator having different reasonings behind their attack it is impossible to find a perfect solution. Despite lawmakers and teachers pushing for student safety with the implementation of intruder protocol and consistent locks on all school doors these perpetrators still manage to access school buildings.

The Virginia Tech student, Seung Hui Cho was a current student at the university allowing him to know the insides and outs of the school buildings. In addition, he managed to gain access to a dormitory which allowed access only by pass card (5). Security measures implemented to protect students of the dormitory did not defend them when it mattered most. Although the United States has yet to find a solution to alleviate or eradicate the crisis we can at least acknowledge those who have been left as victims of the crimes. Like any history, it is important to be aware of the past to better understand how it relates to who we are today. Understanding significant pasts whether good or bad is important for us to be able to grow as a society. The Virginia Tech school shooting is a painful part of our history but the country must acknowledge it. I would like to acknowledge the thirty -two victims of the Virginia Tech Shooting.

Ross A. Alameddine
Christopher James Bishop
Brian R. Bluhm
Ryan Christopher Clark
Austin Michelle Cloyd
Jocelyne Couture-Nowak
Daniel Alejandro Perez Cueva
Kevin P. Granata
Matthew Gregory Gwaltney
Caitlin Millar Hammaren
Jeremy Michael Herbstritt
Rachael Elizabeth Hill
Emily Jane Hilscher
Jarrett Lee Lane
Matthew Joseph La Porte
Henry J. Lee

Liviu Librescu
G.V. Loganathan
Partahi Mamora Halomoan Lumbantoruan
Lauren Ashley McCain
Daniel Patrick O'Neil
Juan Ramon Ortiz-Ortiz
Minal Hiralal Panchal
Erin Nicole Peterson
Michael Steven Pohle, Jr.
Julia Kathleen Pryde
Mary Karen Read
Reema Joseph Samaha
Waleed Mohamed Shaalan
Leslie Geraldine Sherman
Maxine Shelly Turner
Nicole Regina White

Notes:

Cox, Rich, Trevor, Muyskens, Ulmanu, "Interactive School Shooting Database", The Washington Post
Sean Alfano, "VA Killer bought 2nd Gun Online", CBS News
Virginia Tech Review Panel, "Mass Shooting at Virginia Tech"
Cox, Rich, Trevor, Muyskens, Ulmanu, "Interactive School Shooting Database", The Washington Post
Virginia Tech Review Panel, "Mass Shooting at Virginia Tech"

Bibliography:

Woodrow Cox, John, Rich Steven, Trevor Lucas, Muyskens John, "Interactive School Shooting database", The Washington Post, Updated March 28 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/school-shootings-database/
Alfano, Sean. "Virginia Tech Killer Bought 2nd Gun online", CBS News, Published April 19, 2007,https://www.cbsnews.com/news/va-tech-killer-bought-2nd-gun-online/
Virginia Tech Review Panel, "Mass Shootings at Virginia Tech April 16, 2007: Report of the Review Panel", Published August 2007, https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/mass-shootings-virginia-tech-april-16-2007-report-review-panel
Woodrow Cox, John, Rich Steven, Trevor Lucas, Muyskens John, "Interactive School Shooting database", The Washington Post, Updated March 28 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/school-shootings-database/
Virginia Tech Review Panel, "Mass Shootings at Virginia Tech April 16, 2007: Report of the Review Panel", Published August 2007, https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/mass-shootings-virginia-tech-april-16-2007-report-review-panel
Michael T. Kiernan, April 16 Memorial (Virginia Tech to mark 2013 Day of Remembrance: Virginia Tech, 2013), fig 1.
Virginia Tech Alumni, The inn at Virginia Tech (Virginia Tech, 2008), fig 2.
Ross A, Catro, Memorial at the top of the drill field (Flickr: Ross A.Catro, 2007), fig 3.
Baden Copeland, (New York Times, 2007), fig 4.
Seung Hui Cho,(Gunman Sent Photos, Video and Writings to NBC: NBC, 2007), fig 5.
Seung Hui Cho,(Gunman Sent Photos, Video and Writings to NBC: NBC, 2007), fig 6.
Seung Hui Cho ,(NBC Channel: NBC, 2007), fig 7.

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