Cho killed 32 people and wounded 17 others with two semi-automatic pistols on April 16, , at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. This killing is the deadliest school shooting in U. Born in South Korea, Cho was eight years old when he immigrated to the United States with his family.
He became an U. Cho was bullied throughout high school. During Cho's last two years at Virginia Tech, several instances of his abnormal behavior, as well as plays and other writings he submitted containing references to violence, caused concern among teachers and classmates. In the aftermath of the shootings, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine convened a panel consisting of various officials and experts to investigate and examine the response and handling of issues related to the shootings.
The panel released its final report in August , devoting more than 20 pages to detailing Cho's troubled history. In the report, the panel criticized the failure of the educators and mental health professionals who came into contact with Cho during his college years to notice his deteriorating condition and help him. The panel also criticized misinterpretations of privacy laws and gaps in Virginia's mental health system and gun laws. In addition, the panel faulted Virginia Tech administrators in particular for failing to take immediate action after the first two deaths of Emily J.
Hilscher and Ryan C. Nevertheless, the report did acknowledge that Cho must still be held primarily responsible for the killing, despite his "emotional and psychological disabilities [having] undoubtedly clouded his own situation". Cho's father was self-employed as a bookstore owner, but made minimal profits from the venture. Seeking better education and opportunities for his son and daughter, [ 20 ] [ 21 ] Cho's father immigrated to the United States with his family in , when Cho was eight years old.
The family lived in Detroit , then moved to the Washington metropolitan area after learning that it had one of the largest South Korean expatriate communities in the U. Cho's family settled in Centreville , an unincorporated community in western Fairfax County, Virginia , west of Washington, D. After they moved to Centreville, Cho and his family became permanent residents of the United States as South Korean nationals. Some members of Cho's family who had remained in South Korea had concerns about his behavior during his early childhood.
