Comments on: The Virginia Tech shooting: Japanese media coverage (Video)

By: Wahoo

Wahoo — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 04:24:52 +0000

No I am not sure.

Well, there is always some story maker, which I don’t usually believe.
But I did it this time even though that Canada stroy was a little fishy. I don’t have any reference because I was told by a friend told by another who is living around the area where the parents live. I couldn’t find any supporting reference. And I am happy to see what you find.

By: Rocking in Hakata » First Moves

Rocking in Hakata » First Moves — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 01:00:31 +0000

[...] For those who missed it, the shooter was identified as a South Korean man named Cho Seung-Hui. (Well, ok, there was the one slip-up by a Japanese reporter who almost referred to him as African, but quickly corrected himself…) Anyway, here we have a group of people upset that the news is accurately reporting that the man was Asian. Because it will cause a backlash against Asians? Most people are more concerned about the man himself and why he did what he did than they are with his country of origin, and I have a hard time believing that a retaliatory spirit will rise in the American populace. Not everyone in America is a reactionary racist, you know. Not even in post 9/11 America. You’d think otherwise, though, wouldn’t you? Like I said, it kind of saddens me. [...]

By: Da Kappa

Da Kappa — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 06:07:05 +0000

I’m curious. Would you mind explaining to me where did you get that intel; where the gunman’s parents commit suicide? Your “friend” must have been either really close to the suspect’s family or perhaps stating what may be propaganda. Either way it is not helping to ease the suffering of those 32 victim’s families.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18143312/

Shows the names and faces of those lives lost due to that madman.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 05:24:06 +0000

Thank you Wahoo for the entertaining story, but the FBI would not “ask them to move to Canada” in a case like this, they’d keep them for interviewing purposes.

By: James

James — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 05:07:38 +0000

Wahoo, are you sure?

“A Virginia Tech spokeswoman who appeared at the news conference denied that Cho’s parents, who live in Virginia, had committed suicide.

She said some media had erroneously reported that the couple, who moved to the U.S. in the 1990s, had killed themselves.

She emphasized that both are very much alive.

She would not disclose where Cho’s parents are currently staying. ”
http://ciproud.com/content/fulltext/?sid=a552ddbd53e6aa5bb187b13bab7f3698&cid=1997

By: Wahoo

Wahoo — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 04:45:40 +0000

I have some update from people I know. If you think why police can not identify the shooter right away and they even said Chinese on the day of shooting, you may feel there is something not right. If the suspect has green card, a single finger print check will reveal the identity. They announced it as Chinese and the corrected it as S Korean. Why?

My friend told me FBI knew him right away and before making any media announcement, the agents went to his parent’s place and asked them to move to Canada in order to avoid any terror attack by some stupid whites.
FBI agent brought them to their house for packing, where they committed a suicide. And shooter’s father is dead and mother is hospitalized. FBI and police can not release this to US media because it is way too much of tragedy most people can handle…

By: Bucky

Bucky — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 00:19:16 +0000

The announcer did not get it right. He says the gunman was an Asian American. The gunman was a Korean Citizen holding a green card. He does not seem to have obtained US citizenship.

By: Annie

Annie — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 20:58:35 +0000

The shooter is confirmed to be Korean which I don’t think really matters.

I can’t imagine what the families are going through. All those students would have a bright future and unfortunately, they will never get to achieve their goals. The Virginia Tech Massacre is on 24/7 on CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc–which can be very annoying.

By: lost in ube

lost in ube — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:14:39 +0000

This story broke early morning in Japan so I think a lot of the morning news programs covered it. It was the headline for at least a little while on some of the news websites.
The shooter, by the way, is Cho Seung-hui, a South Korean. I think he came to the US via Shanghai so most assumed he was Chinese.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cho_Seung-hui
I must say that Wikipedia editors moved really fast collecting data on this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Tech_massacre

By: Turner

Turner — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 13:56:56 +0000

Yeah, I was surprised how quickly my students heard about the shooting.