Virginia Tech

One of the stated topics of this journal is crime, and so I will opine briefly on the shooter in yesterday's Virginia Tech massacre.  The most detailed article I've read has been at Fox News.  Cho Seung-Hui, 23, has been identified as the alleged killer.  Seeing a photograph of  policeman restraining an Asian male on the grounds of VT yesterday I suspected that the killer was being described by witnesses of the rampage as an Asian male. 

Apparently, Cho was a solitary child, who grew up in Centerville, Virginia with parents who owned and operated a laundry.  A neighborhood friend of the family said that Cho would not react when he was greeted.  He's also been described as a loner.  But he was also an English major and a writer, and writing is solitary by nature.  However, it seems quite evident that Cho was not merely a loner (I'm a loner), he was deeply antisocial and possibly paranoid schizophrenic. 

According to the Fox story, "ISMAIL AX" was written on the young man's arm, a possible reference to the Koranic version of the story of Abraham.  It will be interesting in the days ahead to see if Cho possessed any religious views.  Even if he did it is doubtful they can afford any kind of proof of an Islamicist bent--more likely--if a connection could be made, I would speculate that it would be along the lines of an excuse for narcissistic rage building toward critical mass. 

I further speculate that something was organically wrong with Cho.  That doesn't excuse his evil--but it may be why this type of crime doesn't happen more often than it does.