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Virginia Tech massacre

I intend to follow this since there probably is already a cover up in place.

Students gather to mourn at the convocation after the shooting
Location Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
Target(s) Virginia Tech
Date Monday, April 16, 2007
7:15 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m. (EDT)
Attack type School shooting, mass murder, murder-suicide, massacre
Fatalities 33 (including the perpetrator)[1][2]
Injuries 29[2]
Perpetrator(s) Seung-hui Cho
Motive Unknown
The Virginia Tech massacre was a university shooting that unfolded as two separate attacks approximately two hours apart on April 16, 2007, on the campus of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. A shooter killed 32 people[3] and injured 17 more before committing suicide.[4]

The shooter, Seung-hui Cho, was a South Korean national with permanent resident status in the U.S.[5] He was a senior English major at Virginia Tech.[4]

Contents [hide]
1 Attacks
1.1 West Ambler Johnston shootings
1.2 Norris Hall shootings
2 Perpetrator
3 Victims
4 Responses to the incidents
4.1 University response
4.1.1 Criticism and review of university response
4.2 Student response
4.3 Law enforcement response
4.4 Government response
4.5 Responses at other educational institutions
4.6 International reaction
4.7 Sports tributes
4.8 Other reactions
4.9 Cho family response
5 Historical context
6 Inaccurate media reports
7 Gun control debate
7.1 Background
7.2 U.S. media response
7.3 International media response
8 External links
9 References

[edit] Attacks

Aerial photo showing location of Norris and West Ambler Johnston Halls.Further information: Virginia Tech massacre timeline

[edit] West Ambler Johnston shootings
Cho shot his first victims at around 7:15 a.m. EDT in West Ambler Johnston Hall, a co-ed dormitory that houses 895 students. A young woman, Emily J. Hilscher of the Woodville section of Rappahannock County, Virginia, and a male resident assistant, Ryan C. Clark of the Martinez section of Columbia County, Georgia, were killed.[4] Cho left the scene and soon thereafter mailed a package, postmarked 9:01 a.m.,[6] to NBC News containing various writings and recordings.

[edit] Norris Hall shootings
Approximately two hours after the initial shootings, Cho walked over to Norris Hall, which houses the Engineering Science and Mechanics program, and chained the main entrance doors shut. He then entered several classrooms and began shooting students and faculty members.[2][7]

By the end of this second attack, 30 student and faculty victims lay dead in at least four classrooms and a second-floor hallway of the building.[8] The exact number of bullets used is still in question, but is estimated at "between 175 and 225."[9]

At least 11 murder victims were found in a French class, five in a German class, nine in a hydrology class, two in a solid mechanics class, and one in the hallway.[8] An eyewitness told a Collegiate Times reporter that a shooter shot about 19 people attending a German class in Norris Hall, including the professor.[10][11][12] Only four people emerged unscathed from the German class. Erin Sheehan, one of the four, said the shooter "peeked in twice, earlier in the lesson, like he was looking for someone, somebody, before he started shooting."[8]

Virginia Tech student Jamal Albarghouti used his mobile phone to capture video footage of part of the attack from the exterior of Norris Hall; this was later broadcast on many news outlets.[13]

French class students take cover in Holden Hall. Photo by William Chase DamianoStudent Nikolas Macko described to BBC News his experience at the center of the shootings. He had been attending a math class (near the German class) and heard gunshots in the hallway. At least three people in the classroom barricaded the door using a table. At one point, Macko said, the gunman attempted to open the classroom door and then shot twice into the room; one shot hit a podium; the other went out the window. The gunman reloaded and shot into the door, but the bullet did not penetrate into the room. Macko stated there were "many, many shots" fired.[7]

There were several scenes of mutual help and resistance against the offender:

Professor Liviu Librescu held the door of his classroom, Room 204, shut while Cho attempted to enter it. Librescu was able to prevent the gunman from entering the classroom until his students had escaped through the windows, but was eventually shot five times and killed.[14][15]
Jocelyne Couture-Nowak tried to save the students in her classroom, after looking Cho in the eye in the hallway. One of the three students who survived from the French class told his family that Couture-Nowak ordered her students to the back of the class for their safety before making an unsuccessful attempt to barricade the door.[16] She was subsequently killed by Cho.
Kevin Granata left his third-floor office of Norris Hall and went down to the second floor as the second round of shootings took place. Reportedly he heard a commotion and went into the hallway to see if he could help anyone. He was killed there by Cho.
Partahi Lumbantoruan attempted to protect fellow students[17] by diving on top of Guillermo Colman.[18] Then Cho walked around the class row by row, shooting people who were apparently still alive, and the second blow killed Lumbantoruan, but Colman was protected by Lumbantoruan's body.[19][20][21]
Zach Petkewicz, another student Derek O'Dell, and a teaching assistant barricaded the door of Room 205 with a large table, helping to save 11 lives while Cho shot several times through the door.[22][23][24]
Waleed Shaalan, a Ph.D. student from Zagazig, Egypt, though badly wounded, distracted the gunman from a nearby student after the gunman had returned to the room a second time in search of signs of life. He was shot a second time and died.[25]
Katelyn Carney, Derek O'Dell, and their friends barricaded the door of the German class after the first attack and attended to the wounded. Cho returned minutes later, but O'Dell and Carney prevented him from re-entering the room. Both were injured.[26][27]
Cho was found dead in Couture-Nowak's classroom from a self-inflicted gunshot, having committed suicide as police closed in.

In the aftermath, high winds related to the April 2007 nor'easter prevented emergency medical services from using helicopters for evacuation of the injured.[28] Victims injured in the shooting were treated at Montgomery Regional Hospital in Blacksburg, Carilion New River Valley Medical Center in Radford, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital in Roanoke, and Lewis-Gale Medical Center in Salem.[29]

[edit] Perpetrator
Main article: Cho Seung-hui

One of the photographs of Cho Seung-hui sent to NBC News on the day of the massacre.The shooter was identified as 23-year-old Cho Seung-hui,[4] a South Korean national living in Virginia as a permanent resident. An undergraduate at Virginia Tech, Cho lived in Harper Hall, a dormitory west of West Ambler Johnston Hall. A spokesman for Virginia Tech has described him as "a loner."[2] Several former professors of Cho have stated that his writing was disturbing and he was encouraged to seek counseling.[30][31][32] He had also been investigated by the university for stalking and harassing female students.[33] In 2005, Cho had been declared mentally ill by a Virginia special justice and ordered to seek outpatient treatment.[34] Shortly after arriving in the United States, at the age of 8, Cho had been diagnosed with autism,[35] symptoms of which he regularly displayed throughout childhood and had been bullied on account of.[36]

Cho's motives for the killings remain unclear. Early reports suggested that the killing was the result of a domestic dispute between Cho and his supposed former girlfriend Emily Hilscher, but it now seems she had no prior relationship with Cho.[37] In the ensuing investigation, police found a suicide note in Cho's dorm room, which included comments about "rich kids," "debauchery," and "deceitful charlatans" on campus. On April 18, 2007, NBC News received a package from Cho timestamped between the first and second shooting episodes. It contained an 1,800-word manifesto,[38] photos, and 23 digitally recorded videos,[39] in which Cho likened himself to Jesus Christ, and expressed his hatred of the wealthy.

Family members of the victims were upset that the photos and video sent by the killer were broadcast. They cancelled interviews with NBC in protest. Virginia State Police felt the images should not have been shown:

They're the type of things that those of us in my walk of life usually have to contend with and deal with. And I just hate that a lot of folks that are not used to seeing that type of image had to see it.

– Superintendent Colonel Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police

NBC defended itself, stating that the organization had intense internal debate before broadcasting the footage.

Fox News, which replayed NBC's information extensively, defended NBC's release of the materials. Bill O'Reilly asserted that while he sympathized with the victims' families, it was necessary for the larger audience to see the face of "evil".

[edit] Victims
It has been suggested that List of victims of the Virginia Tech massacre be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)
Main article: List of victims of the Virginia Tech massacre
Excluding the deceased gunman, there were 61 people shot: 32 people were killed, and 29 were injured.

West Ambler Johnston Hall Dormitory (first shooting)
Emily J. Hilscher[4]
Ryan Christopher Clark[40]

Norris Hall Engineering Building (second shooting)
Students
Ross Abdallah Alameddine[2]
Brian Bluhm[41][42]
Austin Cloyd[43][41]
Matthew Gwaltney[44][43]
Caitlin Hammaren[43]
Jeremy Herbstritt[45]
Rachael Elizabeth Hill[41]
Matthew La Porte[46][43][41]
Jarrett Lane[43][41]
Henry Lee[43][41]
Partahi Lumbantoruan[47][48]
Lauren Ashley McCain[43]
Minal Panchal[49]
Daniel Patrick O'Neil[50]
Juan Ramón Ortiz[43][41]
Daniel Pérez Cueva[51]
Erin Peterson[52][53]
Michael Steven Pohle, Jr.[44]
Julia Pryde[41]
Mary Karen Read[54]
Reema Joseph Samaha[43][41]
Waleed Mohamed Shaalan[55]
Leslie Sherman[43][41]
Maxine Turner[43]
Nicole White[43]

Faculty
Christopher James Bishop[41][56]
Jocelyne Couture-Nowak[57]
Kevin Granata[58]
Liviu Librescu[58][15][59]
G. V. Loganathan[43][60]

[edit] Responses to the incidents

[edit] University response
Virginia Tech cancelled classes for the rest of the week and closed Norris Hall for the remainder of the semester.[1] The University also offered counseling assistance for students and faculty and held an assembly on Tuesday, April 17, 2007. Additionally, the Red Cross dispatched several dozen crisis counselors to Blacksburg to help Virginia Tech students cope with the tragedy.[1]

Virginia Tech President Charles Steger stated at the first news conference that authorities initially believed the first shooting at the West Ambler Johnston dormitory was a domestic dispute and that the gunman had left campus.[61] Authorities identified a "person of interest" in the first shooting, Karl Thornhill, who was Emily Hilscher's boyfriend. Hilscher's roommate, Heather Haugh, told authorities that Thornhill owned firearms and had taken both girls to a shooting range. Thornhill was pulled over while leaving Tech's campus after the first shooting, and made authorities suspicious by contradicting Haugh's account.[62] Because authorities quickly apprehended him, they determined that the threat of further violence was minimal and consequently did not justify additional action by the University.[63] However, as Thornhill was being questioned, reports of shooting at Norris Hall came in, indicating that the police had not apprehended the perpetrator.[64] Thornhill has subsequently been released, but remains an important witness in the case, according to police.[64]

After the incident, Virginia Tech announced that the students killed during the massacre would be posthumously awarded their degrees during commencement ceremonies.[65] Because of the incident's impact, university officials also gave students options to abbreviate their semester coursework and still receive a grade.[66][67]

[edit] Criticism and review of university response
Some students blamed the university, saying that administrators should have immediately notified the community and locked down the campus.[68]

Governor Timothy Kaine of Virginia appointed an independent review panel to "provide a thoughtful, objective analysis of the circumstances leading up to, during, and immediately after Monday's horrible events." The panel is led by Retired Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. Gerald Massengill and includes, among others, former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge and Gordon Davies, Director for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia for 20 years.[69]

[edit] Student response

Virginia Tech students mourn the fallen students and faculty at a candlelight vigil.Despite overwhelming student support for the Virginia Tech administration, some Virginia Tech students questioned why the University had not been locked down after the first shooting.[3] After becoming aware of the incident, students communicated with their family and peers about their conditions, using telephones or social networking websites.[70][71] Many students created Facebook memorial pages for fellow students.[72] Fearing retribution from other students, Kim Min-kyung, a South Korean student at Virginia Tech, said South Korean students were gathering in groups, "as it could be dangerous."[73] Lee Seung-wook, head of Virginia Tech's Korean Student Association, said, "I am worried about possible racial prejudices that this horrible incident may bring to Asians, especially Koreans."[74]

[edit] Law enforcement response
After the second attack, the Virginia Tech Police, along with the Blacksburg Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and the Virginia State Police immediately responded following their active shooter protocols. Local SWAT teams were activated and responded.[75] The Federal Bureau of Investigation also joined the investigation. Bureau spokesman Richard Kolko said that there was no immediate evidence to suggest a terrorist incident, but that the agency would explore all avenues.[71] Former FBI terrorism task force member Mike Brooks told CNN.com[76] that perhaps the school's warning system should not rely so heavily on e-mail to notify a campus comprising more than 2,600 acres, hundreds of buildings and 26,000 students, faculty and staff, and Kangalert responds with SMS notifications for university administrations. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) immediately responded to the incident with 10 agents on-scene identifying the weapons and performing forensics.[77]

[edit] Government response
Virginia's U.S. Senators John Warner and Jim Webb both offered their condolences.[78] Virginia Governor Tim Kaine returned early from a trip to Tokyo, Japan[71] and declared a "state of emergency" in Virginia, allowing the governor to immediately deploy state personnel, equipment, and other resources to help out in the aftermath of a tragedy.[79]

On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate observed a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims. The Senate also approved a resolution on Monday night extending condolences to the victims of the shooting.[80] Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy postponed by two days the scheduled April 17, 2007 testimony of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales concerning the firings of eight United States prosecutors.[81] In a statement, Gonzales said that the Justice Department would provide support and assistance to the local authorities and victims as long as they were needed.[82]

According to a spokesman, President George W. Bush was said to be horrified by the rampage and offered his prayers to the victims and the people of Virginia. Bush and his wife Laura also attended the convocation at Virginia Tech on Tuesday.[83] Bush stated that the nation was "shocked and saddened" by the shooting. He also pledged assistance to law enforcement and the local community.[84] The White House flag flew at half staff, and Bush also requested all flags be so lowered until sundown on Sunday, April 22, 2007.[83]

Deputy White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said, "The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed."[85][4]

The Internal Revenue Service and Virginia Department of Taxation granted six month extensions to individuals affected by the massacre.[86]

[edit] Responses at other educational institutions

University of Virginia students show their support for their rival school.In addition to official condolences from many universities, both inside of the United States and abroad, many universities have indicated examinations of existing and possible local response procedures.[87]

The University of Virginia has offered psychological and medical services[88][89] In addition, UVA athletes will wear VT logos on their helmets and uniforms.[90] Radford University is providing free temporary housing for the Virginia State Police officers investigating the incident.[91] Wake Forest University and Clemson University have offered grief counselors and other assistance.[92][93][94]

East Carolina University pledged $100,000 to be presented when the team visits Virginia Tech for the opening game of the 2007–2008 season.[95] The University of Maryland wore maroon and orange ribbons to honor the victims.[96]

[edit] International reaction
There was a widespread international response, including condolences and sympathy from many countries,[97] as well as from Pope Benedict XVI.[98] and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.[99] Australian Prime Minister John Howard said in response to the killings that "America's gun culture was costing lives."[100]

Korean President Roh Moo-hyun expressed his deepest condolences.[101][102] Korea's ambassador to the United States, asked Koreans living in America to fast for repentance.[103] The foreign minister, Song Min-soon, also mentioned that safety measures have been established for Koreans living in the United States in apparent references to fears of possible reprisal attacks against Koreans within the United States.[104] A ministry official hoped the shooting would not "stir up racial prejudice or confrontation."[105]

[edit] Sports tributes
On April 17, the entire Washington Nationals team wore Virginia Tech caps during their game against the Atlanta Braves.[106] On April 20, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's starting pitcher Joe Saunders, currently the only Virginia Tech alumnus in the majors, received special dispensation to wear a Virginia Tech cap during the April 20, 2007 game against the Seattle Mariners to honor the victims. In addition, Saunders also drew the Virginia Tech logo on the back of the pitcher's mound and on the side of his shoes before the start of the game. The Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona and captain Jason Varitek suggested wearing a small "VT" on both uniform sleeves and caps, a proposal that was approved by Major League Baseball. On April 20th, 2007, the Red Sox also had a moment of silence before the game against the Yankees, in which the Red Sox wore the "VT".[107]

NASCAR announced that it would place VT logos on all cars in the three national touring series, for the weekends of April 20-21 at Phoenix, April 27-29 at Talladega, and May 5-7 at Richmond.[108] In addition, the #4 car of Ward Burton will sport a Virginia Tech logo on the car hood at the Phonenix race,[109] and Burton will visit Virginia Tech on Monday. [110]

[edit] Other reactions
Atlanta Falcons quarterback and Virginia Tech alumnus Michael Vick has teamed up with the United Way to donate $10,000 to assist families affected by the shooting. Vick's foundation said the money will be used to provide help with funeral expenses, transportation for family members and other support services.[111]
Fox Broadcasting Company has indefinitely pulled the "Player under Pressure" episode of its Bones series since the episode revolves around the discovery of bones on a college campus. Fox is not sure when it will air, but "out of sensitivity to the victims and families touched by this senseless tragedy, we felt the change was appropriate," a Fox spokesperson told E! News.[112]
MTV and MTV2 changed their logo bug colors to orange and maroon on April 20 to honor the victims as part of Orange and Maroon Effect Day.

[edit] Cho family response
There were mixed responses from Cho's relatives. Some family members expressed sympathy for the victims' families and described Cho's history of mental and behavioral problems. Cho's grandfather was quoted in the London Daily Mirror referring to Cho as a "son of a bitch" and that it "serves him right that he died" with the victims.[35] On Friday, April 20, Cho's family issued the following statement, apparently written by his sister:

On behalf of our family, we are so deeply sorry for the devastation my brother has caused. No words can express our sadness that 32 innocent people lost their lives this week in such a terrible, senseless tragedy. We are heartbroken.

We grieve alongside the families, the Virginia Tech community, our State of Virginia, and the rest of the nation. And, the world.

Every day since April 16, my father, mother and I pray for [all the victims].

We pray for their families and loved ones who are experiencing so much excruciating grief. And we pray for those who were injured and for those whose lives are changed forever because of what they witnessed and experienced.

Each of these people had so much love, talent and gifts to offer, and their lives were cut short by a horrible and senseless act.

We are humbled by this darkness. We feel hopeless, helpless and lost. This is someone that I grew up with and loved. Now I feel like I didn't know this person.

We have always been a close, peaceful and loving family. My brother was quiet and reserved, yet struggled to fit in. We never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence.

He has made the world weep. We are living a nightmare.

There is much justified anger and disbelief at what my brother did, and a lot of questions are left unanswered. Our family will continue to cooperate fully and do whatever we can to help authorities understand why these senseless acts happened. We have many unanswered questions as well.

Our family is so very sorry for my brother's unspeakable actions. It is a terrible tragedy for all of us.[113]

[edit] Historical context
Virginia Tech massacre
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See also: School shooting and List of school massacres
This incident is the deadliest shooting on a college campus, exceeding the 16 deaths[114] of the University of Texas shooting by Charles Whitman in 1966. It is the second deadliest school-related killing in U.S. history, behind the 1927 Bath School disaster which claimed 45 lives, including 38 school children, through the use of explosives.[114] This incident also occurred during the same week as the eighth anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre, the twelfth anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, and the anniversaries of other notable terrorist acts across the country.

With a death toll of 32 victims plus the killer,[114] this is the deadliest single-perpetrator civilian shooting in United States history, surpassing the Luby's massacre of 1991, in which 24 people were killed.[114] Internationally, it is surpassed by the 1982 massacre in South Korea of 57 innocent people by off-duty police officer Woo Bum-kon and the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in the Australian state of Tasmania where 35 people were killed by gunman Martin Bryant.

The shooting has been likened to the Columbine High School massacre,[115] the 1999 school massacre in which two students killed 12 students, one teacher, and wounded 24 others before turning the guns on themselves. In the media package sent to NBC, Cho discussed "martyrs like Eric and Dylan" apparently referring to the Columbine High School gunmen.[31] This massacre occurred just four days before the eight-year anniversary of the Columbine shooting.

[edit] Inaccurate media reports
Main article: Inaccurate media reports of the Virginia Tech massacre
See also: Bath School disaster
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed reported several hours after the incident that the authorities were investigating "a Chinese national who arrived in the United States last year on a student visa ...[who].. reportedly arrived in San Francisco on a United Airlines flight on Aug. 7, 2006, on a visa issued in Shanghai,"[116] a claim which was widely used by the media before official identification of the shooter, including Fox News, MSNBC, ABC News, Sina.com, and Sohu.[117] The report later turned out to be false, and Sneed's article was removed quietly by Chicago Sun-Times.[118] The Chinese Foreign Ministry regretted that "some US media made irresponsible reports on the Virginia Tech shooting before finding out the truth, which violated their professional ethics."[119]

Fox News brought attention to Wayne Chiang, a Virginia Tech graduate student and weapons collector, as a potential perpetrator of the crime, after discovery of the his LiveJournal profile. Chiang came forward, and denied he was the gunman. Chiang was interviewed briefly on CNN and appeared on the April 19 episode of Good Morning America.

CBS Evening News described the incident as "the deadliest shooting in U.S. history." Similarly, NBC called it the "the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history." The media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting has pointed out that these statements are inaccurate, since several other shooting incidents in US history have resulted in higher death tolls.[120] The Virginia Tech massacre is however the deadliest single-perpetrator civilian shooting in the United States.[114]

There have also been media reports that the shooter's parents were hospitalized for suicide attempts after hearing of their son's involvement; these have proven to be false.[121]

[edit] Gun control debate
This section may stray from the topic of the article into the topic of another article, Gun Control.
Please help improve this section or discuss this issue on the talk page. (help)

See also: Gun politics in the United States
The massacre reignited the gun control debate in the United States, with proponents of gun control legislation claiming guns are too accessible, citing that Cho, a mentally unsound individual, was able to purchase two semi-automatic pistols. Proponents of gun rights and the Second Amendment claimed Virginia Tech's gun-free "safe zone" policy ensured that none of the students or faculty would be armed, guaranteeing that no one could stop Cho's rampage.

[edit] Background
Law enforcement officials have described finding a purchase receipt for at least one of the guns used in the assault.[122] The gunman had apparently waited one month after buying his Walther P22 .22 caliber pistol before he bought his second pistol, a Glock 19.[123] Cho used a 15-round ammunition magazine in the Glock.[124] The serial numbers on the weapons had been obliterated, a Federal felony, but the ATF National Laboratory was able to reveal them, and thereby perform a firearms trace.[124]

Virginia Tech has a policy forbidding unauthorized possession or storage of firearms on campus by students, faculty, and staff, even by state licensed concealed weapons permit holders. This policy has been challenged in recent years. In April of 2005, a student licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia to carry concealed weapons was discovered possessing a concealed firearm in class. While no criminal charges were filed, it is unknown whether disciplinary action was taken by the school for violating Tech policy due to student confidentiality.

University spokesman Larry Hincker, in response to challenges over the authority of the university to enforce such a policy, said "We think we have the right to adhere to and enforce that policy because, in the end, we think it's a common-sense policy for the protection of students, staff and faculty as well as guests and visitors."[125]

Virginia bill HB 1572, intended to prohibit public universities from making "rules or regulations limiting or abridging the ability of a student who possesses a valid concealed handgun permit … from lawfully carrying a concealed handgun" was introduced into the Virginia House of Representatives by delegate Todd Gilbert. The university opposed the bill, which died in subcommittee in January of 2006. Spokesman Larry Hincker responded "I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus."[126]

The sale of firearms to permanent residents in Virginia is legal as long as the buyer shows proof of residency.[127] Additionally, though, Virginia has a law that limits purchases of handguns to one every 30 days.[128] Federal law requires a criminal background check for handgun purchases from licensed firearms dealers, and Virginia checks other databases in addition to the Federally-mandated NICS.

Prior to the shootings, Bradford B. Wiles, a graduate student at Virginia Tech, published an editorial in 2006 in the Roanoke Times calling for a change in Virginia Tech's policy prohibiting the carrying of licensed firearms.[129]

[edit] U.S. media response
The response to how gun control affected the massacre was predominantly split—while some believe the university's ban on students carrying concealed weapons contributed to the massacre as students were unable to defend themselves against the perpetrator, others believe that the United States', and Virginia's, relatively liberal gun control laws allowed the gunman to purchase the guns and ammunition that allowed the shootings to take place.

[edit] International media response
The Virginia Tech shootings sparked criticism of U.S. gun control laws around the world. "Only the names change — And the numbers," read a headline in the British newspaper The Times. "Why, we ask, do Americans continue to tolerate gun laws and a culture that seems to condemn thousands of innocents to death every year, when presumably, tougher restrictions, such as those in force in European countries, could at least reduce the number?"[130] Many other countries shared this sentiment and renewed the international gun control debate with criticisms of U.S. gun policy.