Apr 18 2007
Cho Manifesto – All Of It Premeditated
Word is breaking that Cho Seung-Hui took the time between the shootings to send out a ‘manifesto’ to NBC News as part of his planned attack on the VA Tech student body. While people keep noting he was unstable and emotionally isolated, the fact is those conditions can drive someone into the wrong crowd and disasterous behavior. A “manifesto’ means this is all a political statement. It was premeditated and well planned. I think the Manifesto will show many of us were right to not jump on the love-crazed loner theory. The fact the news media is just NOW realizing this was all premeditated is stunning in how slow the news media is. If they would just to stop talking constantly and sit down and look at what happened and think about the inconsistencies they would have seen the potential this was more than it appeared on the surface. The package contains manifesto, pictures and a video tape. There must be some indication that this package was mailed after the first two killings for NBC to come to this conclusion. More if details come out.
BTW, if Cho worked alone I again say we need to see these details so we can make sure we don’t get a repeat massacre. We need to know what to look for.
Update: Here is a report from NBC on this manifesto:
The gunman who killed 32 people at Virginia Tech University sent a package to NBC News, which arrived at the company’s New York offices on Wednesday.
Cho Seung-Hui sent the box containing a manifesto of sorts, photographs and other material, accordind to NBC News.NBC said that a time stamp on the package indicated the material was mailed in the two-hour window between the first burst of gunfire and the second.
BTW, the package was probably premeditated as well given it has pictures and a video.
That he filed the serial numbers off the guns and obtained chain and locks to close the doors off was all the indication needed that it was pre-meditated. He could have had all that stuff together for weeks and was simply waiting for the right time to act. The incident with the girl was probably what precipitated him to act when he did.
That he sent the stuff to the news media is also an indication that this is all about attention and all the attention being given this kid is also likely (sadly) going to spur other such acts in the future as other lost souls attempt to gain their moment in the spotlight. It is easier to be infamous than famous.
Remember the Unabomber? His manifesto? That is how his brother knew who he was. The man was as mad as a hatter and had an IQ of 180.
I think Cho could have been all these things, a loner, smart, a stalker…a very troubled and dangerous young man. That does not change the loony lover thing, he was stalking women.