virginia tech massacre assignment

Project Analysis & Development-LAWS-10080-01

Virginia Tech Massacre assignment

Melissa Gibson ID# 000330911

1. In your view, were any of the killings at Virginia tech preventable? If so, what could have been done to prevent them and by whom?

Absolutely the killings could have been prevented. Cho had written an essay identifying with the shooters of Columbine, but

Virginia Tech was unaware of this behaviour due to laws preventing his high school from transferring such information.

Also Stephanie Roberts and Carmen Blandon made statement that they heard rumours of a “hit list” Cho had created and Carmen had taken it as a joke. (Blanco) Students and faculty must be made aware that such ideations must be taken seriously.

Cho was removed from his poetry class because his behaviour was seen as menacing. Nothing was done by student affairs, the dean’s office, or campus police because “no overt threats against himself or others” were made. (Blanco)

Professor Giovanni was so concerned by his behaviour and her safety that she had implemented secret security protocols for her own protection. Has she names a dead professor while with Cho for one-on-one studies that her assistant was to notify security immediately. (Blanco)

During 2005-2006 Cho showed signs of troubling behaviour with made up stories of a girlfriend names “Jelly” who was a supermodel that lived in outer space. He also created another person named question mark. (Youtube, 2014)

Andy Koch had seen Cho repeatedly stab the floor of their dorm room and it went unreported. (Youtube, 2014)

Cho was involved in three stalking incidents, two which resulted in verbal warnings by campus police.

Cho was clearly on the radar for his behaviour long before the shootings had occurred.

Cho was deemed as a danger to himself as a result of mental illness on December 13, 2005.

Because of wording in the federal statute he was able to get around legally purchasing guns within the state even with having a past of depression and court-ordered out-patient treatment. (Blanco)

Even if they couldn’t have prevented the first shootings that took place at Johnston Hall campus security could have prevented the further deaths of the 30 students and faculty shot and killed at Norris Hall with proper security protocols regarding such dangerous and violent situations.

Notes were found stating that bombs were in specific halls days before the shooting, security should have been on some kind of alert because of these threats. First note was found on April 2, 2007 which stated “ Notice: I placed a bomb in Torgerson Hall. It will be exploded this evening, April Second, Monday two thousand seven” and the other was found on April 13, 2007 which stated “ The bombs placed in this building Whittemore/Torgersen/Durham will explode this weekend. Will no be fooled this time. Others are scheduled for coming weekends. Both were signed KEED and were not written by Cho. Although the letters found were not




written by Cho campus police should have been aware that there was a danger to the students and the University because of these threats. (Department of Forensics)

Do you think that the police and security measures and responses were appropriate? Why or why not?

I think that both the campus security lacked in their response to the situation. First, how is that Cho shot two female students on the third floor of the Johnston Hall, changed his clothing, rearmed himself, and walked over to Norris Hall, which according to Google Maps is approximately a 10-13 minute walk, completely unnoticed by any security personnel. (Google)

The police thought they had the shooter apprehended. Karl Thornhill, the boyfriend of Emily Hilscher's. He was being questioned by police when the second round of shootings began at Norris Hall.

Before the second shootings began almost two in a half hours later the campus security should have been on high alert. If Cho was wearing the combat gear seen in some of the pictures we’ve seen he should have been highly recognizable to both civilian and security personnel.

I understand that locking down the entire campus would have been a long and exhausting task for both police and campus security. The police arrived on the scene fifteen minutes after the first shootings. (Blanco) The shootings took place on the third floor of Johnston Hall, which is approximately 4 minute walk to Cho’s dormitory, Harper Hall. It would have taken a few minutes for him to change his clothing, rearm himself, and produce the notes and videos to bring to the local post office. So he would have been ready to leave close to the time of police arrival just 4 minutes away. Where was security at this time? How did security not see him leave the Hall, walk to his dorm, and him leaving his dorm approximately 10-15 minute later?

Had there been access control to the entrance of each dorm hall Cho would have had a difficult time entering the building. Each student is issued a student card, this student card can be used as access control, this allows students entrance to their dorms only. This kind of security measure would have made it more difficult for Cho to have access to any other dorm halls others than his own. Of course, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to access the halls, but it would have created one additional step in his plan.

Front door securities, foot patrol security, CCTV, signing in and out are all ways to prevent intruders from entering any dorm Hall with vulnerable students.




Was there no security guards working within Johnston Ambler Hall during the time of the shooting? If so did they not communicate the need for back up? How far away was the closest guard?

Cho delivered a package to be mailed to NBC at a local post office. There were two post office close by Virginia Tech. 909 University Boulevard is 27-33 minutes away from Harper Hall by foot, (Google)and 118 North Main Street is 16-18 minutes away from Harper Hall by foot. Could Cho walk across campus looking completely unsuspicious? He was able to walk undetected carrying two guns with 17 magazines containing 170 rounds of ammunitions. (Blanco)

Communication to faculty about the shootings was completed via email. There was no text alerts, no P.A. announcements or any other means of communications regarding the shooting that took place at Johnston Hall.

The information in the communication described a “shooting incident”. Not to mention that the email wasn’t produced until 9:26 am, two hours after the initial shootings. (Blanco)

Cho was able to chain three main entrance doors of Norris Hall without being detected by anyone. Where was campus security while he was chaining the entrances?

Was there no protocol put into place for faulty to follow regarding a shooting incident?

3. What changes have been made to educational institutions as a result of the Virginia Tech incident? Consider emergency services, school administrations and governments.

Virginia Tech obviously increased their security, policies and procedures regarding such incidents on campus after the 2007 shootings.

Virginia Tech has had “ a series of typed-up protocols for different kinds of incidents” (Mohney, 2011)

Virginia Tech ran through a mock incident to test new protocols shortly after noon testing their communication surrounding the incident. “The first text message at 12:37 and then followed up with more text messages, electronic message board alerts, website updates and emails.” (Mohney, 2011)

An increase of case managers, counsellors and psychiatrists to assist with students who have mental health issues. (Gray, 2008)

The availability to mental health services has increased on many campuses.

(Gray, 2008) Most campuses have improved on how they share information among

constituents and clarification has been made about FERPA. (Gray, 2008) Campuses now use mass notification and texting as a means to communicate

important information. (Gray, 2008) 22% began working on revising their emergency plans and 66% did revise

their emergency plans. (Gray, 2008)




41% of campuses have increased their budget for campus safety and security. (Gray, 2008)

Virginia Tech and USC have replaced door hardware to prevent doors from being chained shut. (Gray, 2008)

Purdue University has developed a campus-wide emergency procedure that complies with IEOP. (Robinson, 2008)

Purdue University has implemented a campus-wide multi-layered Alert system (Robinson, 2008)

Behaviour assessment team has been created to address students with problem behaviour. (Robinson, 2008)

4. What impact did the Virginia Tech incident have on the debate over gun control in the United States and on gun laws?

Some of the restrictions that have been proposed or enacted into law include background checks and waiting periods for individuals who want to purchase a firearm, regulation of secondary market sales, mandatory child-safety locks, child-access prevention laws, concealment laws, bans on small and lightweight guns, and a controversial 1994 ban on assault weapons. (EBSCO Host Connection)

A blue ribbon task force was created to examine gun policies in the State which made multiple recommendations such as background checks, banning firearms possession on college campuses and none of the recommendations became law. (Sapien, 2013)

President Bush signed federal legislation requiring all state to submit their mental health records to NCIS with two concessions. This legislation also changed the definition of who was “mentally defective” and allowing those who have been deemed mentally ill the right to restoring their gun rights through the courts. (Sapien, 2013)

In fact since mass shootings account for very little gun crimes the Virginia Tech massacre had very little effect on actual changes in gun controls and laws.

Bibliography

Blanco, J. I. (n.d.). Seung-Hui Cho. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from Murderpedia: http://murderpedia.org/male.C/c/cho-seung-hui.htm

Department of Forensics. (n.d.). VA Tech Report. Virginia, United States: PeterM. Marone.

EBSCO Host Connection. (n.d.). Overview of the Gun Control Debate. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from EBSCO Host Connection: http://connection.ebscohost.com/us/gun-control/overview-gun-control-debate




Google. (n.d.). Google Maps, Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Retrieved March 8, 2015, from Google: https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Burruss+Hall,+Blacksburg,+VA+24060,+USA/Ambler+Johnston+Hall,+Blacksburg,+VA+24060,+USA/@37.2262242,-80.4267854,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x884d9512d226c1a3:0x15754ac7c241bba!2m2!1d-80.4237687!2d37.2290535!1m5!1m

Google. (n.d.). Google Maps, Virginia Polytechnique Institute. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from Google: //www.google.ca/maps/dir/Harper+Hall,+United+States/US+Post+Office,+University+City+Boulevard,+Blacksburg,+VA+24060,+United+States/@37.2295432,-80.4374545,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x884d9511bb7d4da1:0x996cc910492943a4!2m2!1d-80.42342!2d37.222

Gray, R. H. (2008, March/April). CS Post Virginia Tech Study. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from campussafetymagazine: http://regents.ohio.gov/safetyandsecurity/resources/CS3VAtech.pdf

Mohney, C. C. (2011, December 8). Virginia Tech Improves Security Response After 2007 Shootings. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/US/virginia-tech-improves-security-response-2007-shootings/story?id=15114721

Robinson, T. B. (2008, July 24). Emergency Preparedness at Purdue in the Post-Virginia Tech Tragedy Environment. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from purdue.edu: http://www.purdue.edu/vpsa/emergency/files/EmergencyPreparednessStatusReport.pdf

Sapien, J. (2013, January 3). mass Shootings Do Little to change State Gun Laws. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from ProPublica: http://www.propublica.org/article/mass-shootings-do-little-to-change-state-gun-laws

Youtube (Director). (2014). Virginia Tech Massacre [Motion Picture].

virginia tech massacre assignment

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