ABC News is reporting that one line of the several pages long note left by the Virginia Tech shooter says “You caused me to do this.”
Cho Seung-Hui, the student who killed 32 people and then himself yesterday, left a long and “disturbing” note in his dorm room at Virginia Tech, say law enforcement sources.
Sources have now described the note, which runs several pages, as beginning in the present tense and then shifting to the past tense. It contains rhetoric explaining Cho’s actions and says, “You caused me to do this,” the sources told ABC News. As Jay Tea says below, the responsibility for the shooting lies with the shooter. As I wrote late last night, there are lessons that can be learned, but that anyone other than the mass murderer is to blame is not one of them.
Update: I agree with Henry’s observation in the comments section, “After reading the story you linked in your prior post about the ‘Bath school massacre’, this brings to mind the big note that Kehoe left behind…’Criminals are made, not born’. No real explanation will ever be enough to justify murdering so many in cold blood.” Even in all of the writings left by the Columbine killers, no one could really answer the “why” question. Evil and insanity are not easily explainable.
Update II: More on the note in this Fox News report (which also includes information from the Chicago Tribune). Link via Atlas who writes about the ISMAIL AX signature on the note. Below is a bit from the Fox News piece. Read the full article and the Atlas post for speculation about the significance of the ignature.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the note railed against “rich kids” and “debauchery” and “deceitful charlatans” on campus.
The Tribune also said Cho had been behaving strangely lately, setting a dorm room on fire and allegedly stalking women. Other reports said he had been taking medicine for depression.
A Virginia Tech professor said Cho’s work in creative-writing class was so disturbing that he had been referred to the school’s counseling service.
