Random Acts of Violence . . .

I've had some time now to reflect on the Virginia Tech shootings and one thought swirls around in my mind again and again. Why were the officials of Virginia Tech surprised? In a recent news article, the former English department chairperson said that "the anger Cho expressed was palpable if not explicit." And the writing was so disturbing that she approached university police and officials for help. What happened after that? What interventions were done? According to CNN, Cho was reported several times to the police for stalking or harassing women. Later a former roommate reported to authorities that Cho might be suicidal.

In 2005 police asked Cho to see a counselor after speaking with him at length, and a temporary detention order was obtained. At that time, Cho was declared mentally ill by a Virginia special justice, who declared that Cho was "an imminent danger" to himself. Also included in this temporary detention was confirmation that Cho "presents an imminent danger to himself as a result of mental illness;" however, a box indicating that the subject "Presents an imminent danger to others as a result of mental illness" was not checked.

In another part of the form, Cho was described as "mentally ill and in need of hospitalization, and presents an imminent danger to self or others as a result of mental illness, or is so seriously mentally ill as to be substantially unable to care for self, and is incapable of volunteering or unwilling to volunteer for treatment." So how does a person who is incapable of taking care of himself and incompetent enough to recognize his serious mental health problems only stay in a mental health facility for two days? A two-day stint at the local mental health unit? That's all? Was he medicated? Why was a person so disturbed allowed to leave a clinic on his own volition? Was he THAT good at either lying or covering his feelings that he was able to convince the mental health staff he was well enough to go? I'm baffled.

Obviously acts of violence are NEVER random. Cho's creative writing samples clearly show that he fantasized about killing people and getting back at people for past grievances. It appears that Cho wanted to be a black sheep--to be seen as different. And as much as he tried to hide from society with his demeanor he also wanted to be noticed. He was crying out so loudly but nobody really heard him. They saw him as a weirdo--which he probably was--but with good reason. His enigmatic personality and strange classroom antics (taking pictures of students in class), ultimately drew attention to himself in a powerful way. By freaking out his peers HE was now the one in control. So as long as people ignored him and wrote him off as crazy, the more agitated he became, and the higher the ante became. In the end, he memorialized himself by committing a horrific violent act--one that could have been prevented. He had the last say, he chose who was to die and live, his voice was heard, his life was analyzed from every angle and standpoint possible from every major network in the US and outside the US. But a random suicide would not get him noticed--a seemingly random, large scale act of violence would. It would touch all of us in some way. He was finally noticed.