Student says US gunman’s spree began with quarrel with girlfriend

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2007/April/theworld_April424.xml§ion=theworld

TAIPEI - The gunman who shot up a Virginia university and killed at least 33 people including himself was an Asian student who had quarrelled with his girlfriend just before the shooting spree, a Taiwanese student said on Tuesday.

Virginia Tech student Chen Chia-hao told Taiwan cable TV channel CTI that the shooting rampage on Monday morning began after the gunman, believed to be a student from China, killed his girlfriend in the student dormitory after an argument.

“They had a big quarrel in the West Ambler Johnston Hall and he shot her. Then the RA (dorm supervisor) came, and he shot the RA,” Chen told CTI by phone.

From the student dorm, the gunman then went to the classroom building Norris Hall, where he locked up the front and back door of a classroom with an iron chain, Chen said.

[MADem]

1. I heard this when the story first broke, and then it kinda got shoved to the side. But here's my

question: What does "student from CHINA" mean, here?

Which China? Taiwan or the PRC?

[Nikki Stone1]

2. I'm guessing PRC. He was said to have come from Shenghai

in at leasts one of the reports.

[MADem]

9. AAAGH!! The news just said he was SOUTH KOREAN!!!!!

Makes you wonder why the Taiwanese paper was trying to pin it on the other Chinese team, eh???


I can't believe that SOMEONE didn't have a hint where this exchange student originated before now....

[whistle]

3. Correct, I'm not sure if this story is even valid any longer as this

...was part of the mid-morning reporting yesterday as the story broke. I don't know if anyone knows yet what the details are concerning the shooter, his motives and even how the event unfolded. Certainly during the press conferences so far, officials have disclosed very little.

One such confusing detail which came out as news anchors discussed the story yesterday was about what type of clothing the shooter was wearing. A witness at the scene said that a 6' tall Asian man was dressed in a "boy scout" style uniform with a tan vest, but no other details were given. So for myself for the time being I just have to accept that the only thing we know at the moment is that we don't know!

[NNN0LHI]

4. I only posted this because the article quotes a witness identified by name

If it had been merely something said by an "unidentified source" I wouldn't have posted this.

Don

[whistle]

6. Here is an update on the identity of the shooter from the Washington Post

...this morning:

<snip>
Gunman Who Killed 32 Lived in Va. Tech Dormitory

By Ian Shapira, Tom Jackman and Howard Schneider
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, April 17, 2007; 8:32 AM

BLACKSBURG, Va., April 17 -- Virginia Tech president Charles W. Steger said today that the gunman who rampaged through the campus on Monday leaving 32 dead was a student who lived in one of the school's dormitories.

The name of the assailant has not been publicly released, but Steger, in an interview on CNN, said he was an Asian male who was "a resident in one of our dormitories."

A range of sources, including federal and local officials with knowledge of the case, have told the Washington Post that the assailant was of Korean descent. His parents live in Fairfax County, one official there said.

<MORE>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/17/AR2007041700456.html?hpid=topnews

[MADem]

10. One of the network "break ins" identified the guy as South Korean and gave a name...! nt

[mzteris]

8. if a Taiwanese said

he was from China - he meant he was from mainland China.

[MADem]

11. In which case, it probably was an attempt at a slam, seeing as the guy was S. Korean! nt

[Junkdrawer]

5. Why the chains on the doors...why the bomb threats to "test security responses"...

Crimes of passion usually don't involve this level of planning.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=671650&mesg_id=671749

The stories coming out of VT currently don't add up.

[Elidor]

7. Not Chinese

A range of sources, including federal and local officials with knowledge of the case, have told the Washington Post that the assailant was of Korean descent. His parents live in Fairfax County, one official there said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/17/AR2007041700456.html?hpid=topnews

[philosophie_en_rose]

12. Implies that the girlfriend was partially to blame.

Like she drove him to murder thirty people.

Lame.