Posted on 04/19/2007 3:00:24 PM PDT by ventanax5
The roommates crossed paths near the bathroom door at 5 in the morning. In the Monday darkness, another school week at Virginia Tech was about to begin. Karan Grewal had pulled an all-nighter to finish his accounting paper. His eyes were bleary as he saw Cho Seung Hui, in boxer shorts and T-shirt, moving around him to get into the bathroom. No words were exchanged, but that is how it always was with Cho, the silent stranger among six guys in Suite 2121 of Harper Hall. Cho, or Seung as his suitemates called him, never looked you in the eye, rarely changed expression, would just walk right on by.
Grewal returned to his room and collapsed on his bed, falling into a deep sleep. He would not stir until mid-morning, awakened by an uncommon sound on campus, the wail of sirens.
Cho left the bathroom, got dressed, pulled a stocking cap over his head, and set out from the dorm on his way to kill 32 students and teachers and then himself in the bloodiest mass murder by a lone gunman in American history.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Not destined to be added to the pantheon of inspirational proclamations.
Initial reports seemed to indicate that the students and professors were simply cowering in fear or running for their lives and that the shooter faced no opposition at all. This article indicates that some did try to stop him by blocking access to classrooms at considerable personal risk and there was a line about one man who apparently died trying to attack the murderer.
One of the more disturbing aspects of this has been a perception that these young men and women were “passive” and simply allowed themselves to be butchered like so many cattle. This piece states rather clearly that in fact these people reacted like a group under such duress would pretty much be expected to react. Some ran, some hid and a few put up as much fight as they could.
It also indicates that the shooter had some skill with firearms. He didn’t just spray bullets but aimed deliberately while at the same time keeping on the move and keeping his back covered. Unarmed people would have little chance in the circumstances.
What happened to the spirit that said “that was the hill I chose to die defending”?
I like to think that I’d have gone down fighting in similar circumstances, but when you’re that age and have no military training or violent background it takes a while to gear yourself up for that kind of do or die activity.
Yes, I understand. I was simply remarking on the “literary” aspect of the headline. If I ever have the misfortune of dying under a desk, I’d rather have my last words remembered as more “epic heroic” (again, in the literary sense).
Their only chance was to rush him all at once.
I’m no fan of the Post, but this is an excellent piece.
Says it all.
Good video from ABC
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/VATech/story?id=3056168&page=1
Powerful piece.... The experience must have been just terrifying. I wish someone else had had a gun.
I don’t want to be critical of people who were terrified for their lives, but I’m amazed that a couple of people didn’t rush this guy and disarm him. I saw a training tape excerpt for high schoolers that showed them throwing books and phones and everything on their desk at a “terrorist” that burst into their classroom. My prayers go out to all who lived through the VT massacre and their families and friends. I hope that people will demand greater freedoms for lawful gun owners and that institutions will train student volunteers to carry arms and be ready to respond to campus threats.
Asay nails it again.
The only account I have read so far is the one from the young man who lived through the French class assault. According to him, everyone was laying down on their bellies once the bullets started coming through the door. No one got up to run or fight back. Perhaps teaching and training could be done for a class caught in this situation. Throwing books, chairs or anything not fastened down might make the intruder protect themselves long enough for some to rush them. This will happen again, we just don't know when, where and to what extent.
I read the whole thing....very good reporting. A horrifc day.
And that’s an excellent cartoon, too!
That IS an excellent video. For once a shrink really has something good to say. Right on the money: He calls the showing of the video a “social catashrophe”.
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