Have they identified the VT shooter?

[jcrew2001]

I went over to FR and I saw a link to this VaTech student's LiveJournal and he might not be the shooter, but he is def a gun lover and has lots of pictures with him shooting guns. If it is the shooter, its quite ominous that this NRA VaTech kid practically documents his intentions and obsessions.

Its freaky how these blog sites, myspace, facebook, etc. provide an immediate insight into the mind of these murderers.

[Buzz Clik]

1. A kid on MSNBC said the shooter was a 6-foot Asian.

Does that fit?

[jcrew2001]

5. My roomate is a 5'10 Asian

but I saw the picture of this Asian VaTech student shooting all these guns in Northern Virginia - seemed like a huge gun lover, kinda odd for an Asian - but not odd for a Virginian.

[VelmaD]

9. I have a friend who is Korean-American...

and well over 6 feet tall.

[Buzz Clik]

13. You misunderstand -- I was simply asking jcrew2001 if the kid he saw was Asian

[VelmaD]

17. sorry...

got a little confused.

[Buzz Clik]

30. No apology necessary.

Your response was understandable considering the phrasing of my comment.

[magellan]

2. Last I heard they were saying this guy wasn't a student

At least not at VT. But that was 2 hours ago.

[orleans]

10. that's what i heard. not a student, 24 years old & his earlier

massacre he shot his ex-girlfriend. and a student adviser. (also heard he was wearing a bullet proof vest)

[malaise]

37. VTs President was on CNN a while ago

He said the shooter was a student of VT.

[whoneedstickets]

3. AS of 9:20pm, only a description

Male, Asian, early 20's about 6' tall.

[Common Sense Party]

4. Link?

[jcrew2001]

12. Actually did some lurking and some of his friends

say its not him - so i'm not going to perpetuate a rumor.

[jcrew2001]

25. Here's the link and he posted it so he's alive

http://wanusmaximus.livejournal.com/

and he says he's not the shooter - so innocent I presume.

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. Check this out - from his blog

I made drudge. I can now die happy. Shout out to South Park, the best show out there. Maybe they will make a reference. Then I will die happy.

[Pachamama]

36. What is it when people get obsessed like that with guns?

Is it a penis thing to make up for a small pecker? Does it make them feel more "manly"?

Very strange and scary....to see someone so excited about their weapons and even showing pictures of a pile of dead deer and making a Bambi joke....

I believe in the right to bear arms, I even own guns myself and have been shooting skeet since I was a teenager and did it a lot when I went ocean cruising as an activity. I think there is maybe one photo that has ever been taken of me with a gun....the idea of posing with guns is strange to me.

Anyway, I think a person like that has some serious issues to work out....and hopefully not with the use of those penis extenders...

[proud2BlibKansan]

39. And all this time, I was thinking those damn monster trucks

with the big wheels are penis extenders. Now I find there are even more penis extenders!

[Marrah_G]

6. Preliminary identification

They can't announce a name until they confirm it absolutely and notify his next of kin. They will probably give out a name tommorrow morning. That's my guess anyway.

[Irreverend IX]

7. I saw that LiveJournal

That isn't him. He made a post after the shooting was over. His journal also says he's graduated, not a current student.

[Seen the light]

8. It's absolutely not him

He's posted since the massacre happened. Trust me, it's not him. Although that kid certainly needs help also...

[jcrew2001]

20. where did he post?

because all i read was his friend on Live journal saying it wasnt him

But man- that kid is messed up with all them guns.

[Seen the light]

22. Within the past 20 mins, he put up a post on his Livejournal

He specifically references death threats he's received over this and categorically denies being linked with the massacre in any way.

[Mike Daniels]

11. As of 7:50 p.m the police were refusing to ID the shooter

Probably, as another poster surmised, because they haven't notified next of kin as of yet.

[beltanefauve]

14. NPR even speculated

that there may have even been more than one shooter. The details on this one have been sketchy and even contradictory all day. I wonder why.

[jcrew2001]

19. If there were 2 shooters or if the 2 incidents

were from 2 separate shooters - and the first shooter is still on the loose, that would be frightening.

Its just so senseless - either being bullied, or failing grades, or gf problems to go and kill innocent people just because you hate yourself - it sucks

we need to bomb Iran to make us feel better.

[Warpy]

27. They'll have to retrieve bullets from both scenes

and compare them, do ballistics tests with the guns they found and test the alleged shooter's hands for powder just to be sure the shooter didn't put the guns into a dead victim's hand and split.

In other words, the crime lab's got a lot of work to do. Reconstructing the face of the alleged shooter will probably be part of it, in hopes of finding someone out there who knows who he is. Plus, they've got a whole lot of traumatized kids to interview.

Don't expect easy or early answers. When an answer comes, give it the 72 hour sniff test.

[beltanefauve]

35. Good advice,

Warpy. :hi:

[necklace]

15. Let's not be racist here, but instead show some compassion!

It doesn't matter to the public if the shooter is an Asian, an Asian-American or not (Many of whom are over 6 feet by the way). It doesn't matter that he may or may not fit "the profile". The only thing that is clear to me here is that this was a tormented soul. How bad things were with him and how tortured was he to be able to do this?!? Can you imagine how bad things in your own life would have to be to reach such a point?

It is easy to condemn this person, but now is the time to display some compassion for the family of this shooter as well as to the families of all the victims. Yes, we can all sympathize with the families of the victims, whose only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But can you imagine what the family of that shooter must be going through?

So my compassion goes out to the family of the shooter, who must be feeling very responsible for this horror today!

[Richard Steele]

34. Are you for real? No one was being racist here. nm

[necklace]

41. Making racial slurs are not the only signs of racism within in us.

When discussions are going on about how tall an Asian man is or expected to be, when discussions about whether or not it is typical of Asians is irrelevant. I am pointing out that these comments based on generalizations are racist because they are making assumptions about a person based on their race/ethnicity - without really knowing who he was. Generalizations, positive or negative, are the root cause of racism, and therefore, are dangerous.

My other point is that in the end we should be showing compassion for everyone, including the shooter and especially his family! Can you imagine living the rest of your life as the relative of someone who created such horror?!?

[Richard Steele]

42. You clearly did not understand what was being discussed, and still don't.

Even though it was well-clarified before you posted
to this thread.

I find this puzzling.

[necklace]

43. Well, I don't think you got my point either! nt

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

16. who was the guy they had handcuffed on the ground?

mistaken identity because he was asian? he was shown today along with the other video clips.

[Lex]

18. I saw that too!

Who was that guy?

[southerncrone]

26. Was that the guy that was put into a Black Expedition?

Hubby said on CNN a student spoke of a Black Expedition charging in, guys jumping out & grabbing a guy w/blood on arm & throwing him in the Expedition, then charging off.

Anyone else see that?

[johnnie]

29. I think that was a victim

Someone was talking about something like that they had witnessed. He said the man was shot in the abdomen and they threw him in a SUV and took off.

[Tin Man]

23. Unfortunately for that guy, he fit the description and location.

Asian male, wearing black, in front of Burress Hall (adjacent to Norris Hall, site of the 2nd shootings).

[Eric J in MN]

24. I saw a Comment at Daily Kos saying he was a journalist...

...who crossed the police line.

[Zynx]

32. Student journalist who was hasseling a cop.

[malaise]

38. I saw that as well

Found it strange.

[jcrew2001]

21. What if the gunman is still alive?

and he shot himself to make himself look like a victim to get away?

[jwirr]

28. Confusion! There is a commercial for BBC News that I like. The man

says that "you go out an get the news and when you are sure then you tell the people the news". This type of reporting could certainly help in this situation. Until they have been informed by the investigators who the shooter is they should merely tell us what they really do know.

[submerged99]

31. Why not release a description of the shooter from the first Dormitory?

Everyone has been talking about the identity of the Norris Hall shooter and offer a description of the guy-a 6 foot tall Asian man wearing a black jacket and a maroon cap.

The police are refusing to say whether or not the first shooting is tied to the second and have suggested it was a totally seperate shooting.

It seems that they can clarify things by releasing a description of the first shooter. If they say the first shooter was also a 6 foot tall Asian man wearing a black jacket and maroon cap, it seems the two shootings might be related.

[benEzra]

40. I read that rumor on the High Road, he was NOT the shooter if it's the same rumor

somebody said the owner of the livejournal site has since posted and said that (1) no, he is NOT dead, and (2) that he is NOT the shooter, and would people please stop sending him hate mail and death threats.