Understanding a Killer

We’re starting to get a look at the life of the VT killer.

And, I have to admit feeling… something for Mr. Cho. I know some people will criticize me for this, but that’s okay. And let me be clear, whatever I feel about the killer, as conflicted as it is, it doesn’t take away the sadness I feel for those innocents that Mr. Cho selfishly chose to kill. Nothing justifies those actions. Nothing.

Let me also that nothing which follows is meant as an excuse for him. Lots of people have suffered worse and not resorted to taking the lives of innocent people.

Still, it foolish to ignore some of the events that led up to the killing – if for not other reason than it might help us reduce the number of future such killings.

I think, from what we know so far, that part of the tragedy in all of this was that we had a young man who was clearly in trouble. Lots of people knew this. Mr. Cho was sending up a lot of flags. Still, it never seemed that he got the help he needed. He was shuffled from place to place, with Band-Aids slapped on what was clearly a much larger injury.

It’s also not surprising that Mr. Cho, apparently, suffered bullying and mocking because he was shy and different. While not universal, bullying seems to be a common factor in school shootings perpetrated by students. Again, this is not meant to be an excuse of anybody’s ultimate actions. I view the bullying the same way I view the role of television and video games on violence in our society. They are not the cause. They become a catalyst for those already pre-disposed to violence.

I do think, though, we need to do ourselves justice in stopping and asking ‘What could have happened if someone had intervened’. Maybe nothing. Maybe things would have ended exactly the same, or maybe Cho would have just taken longer and have been involved in an office shooting, rather than a school shooting.

I wonder.