Official VA Tech review panel: violent video games not a factor in V-tech shootings |
While the world was still reeling from the shock of the horrible tragedy that is the V-Tech shootings, a formal investigation into the murderer's background - as well as what could have been done, and what should be done to prevent anything like this from happening again - was launched, and has recently concluded. Its findings, which should provide at the very least, solace to the bereaved, also provide an answer to a question that the videogame community (as well as the rest of the world) had been asking: was violence in videogames a factor in Seung Hui Cho's outburst?
The answer is a resounding 'no'.
This comes directly from the full report of the Virginia Tech Review Panel, spearheaded by none other than Governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine, with the actual material hosted on his official website. Excerpts that best convey this affirmation presented as is:
Sun and her parents recall that Cho seemed to be doing better. He was enrolled in a Tae Kwon Do program for awhile, watched TV, and played video games like Sonic the Hedgehog.
None of the video games were war games or had violent themes. He liked basketball and had a collection of figurines and remote controlled cars.
Years later when he was in high school, Cho was asked to write about his hobbies and interests. He wrote:
I like to listen to talk shows and alternative stations, and I like action moviesÂ…My favorite movie is X-Men, favorite actor is Nicolas Cage, favorite book is Night Over Water, favorite band is U2, favorite sport is basketball, favorite team is Portland Trailblazers, favorite food is pizza, and favorite color is green.
ChoÂ’s roommate never saw him play video games. He would get movies from the library and watch them on his laptop. The roommate never saw what they were, but they always seemed dark.
With various critics of videogames such as Dr. Phil and Jack Thompson pointing to videogames as a major influence in the V-tech killings before the findings themselves were published, it's certainly interesting to find out just what the reaction of the masses will be, now that these results have come to the public light. We'll be here to update you on developments as they happen, and you can let us know what you think by your comments below.
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Comments [refresh]
Jack Thompson is an idiot.
That Sonic might have been an influence though. Just joking.
Well all they had to do was read what the guy wrote in his suicide letter and said in his nation wide broadcast.
His infuence was the columbine shootings and he was pissed about something so he solved it with a gun. It's that simple really.
Homeschooling ftw.
This is absolute proof the color green is responsible for these killings. I've been suspicious ever since that episode of Sesame Street..
maybe he got fed up with basketball and started killing people because he missed a basket?
with Thabor. i remember that episode of Sesame Street.
QJ is to blame. Their poor writing and post anything that even vaguely resembles news attitude has caused needless death and destruction.
jack thompson is an idiot
Sadistically violent games can influence can rarely (but happens) influence kids to commit horrid acts, but obviously no matter how violent a game could be it couldn't influence a high schooler... I'm against Manhunt and Manhunt 2 but seriously, linking the V-tech massacre with videogames was pretty dumb...
Yep Jackass Tohmpson really made an ass of himself by immediately blaming videogames for the VT shooting on fox news right after the tragedy. Even Dr. Phraud had to jump on the blame bandwagon.
I think every time 'ol Jackass is interviewed from now on the guy interviewing him needs to bring that up. "So what about the time you appeared on national television and said videogames were responsible for the Virginia Tech shooting when that cho kid never owned any?"
Here's what really caused the shooting:
Seriously f*cked up kid
Easy gun access thanks to NRA morons
Nobody acted on obvious warning signs
Dumbass campus leadership did almost nothing to warn students or cancel classes
Worthless police did absolutely nothing (if they can't protect people, what the f*k are they good for? oh yeah, harassment and opression.)
Wow! I completed my investigation in 5 minutes, not 4 months.
they were killed by a stupid american.. anyway, who gives a f*** about these people, did YOU know them? just... americans... not like they have souls.. but do not ban games in europe because of something that happened in america..
jack thompson is an ***** ***** him and the pig hore he came from video games do influenece violence but thats only when a VERY unstable mentally wize person comes accross them u have to put in the factor that he was very sad and tactical shooters are not going to cause this problem its games like grand theft auto that cause that and counter strike (by the way counter strike sucks)that cause this look the games have a "M" for mature for a reason now i am not saying that we should all follow the age crap but i am saying that we should all be more mature about video games like grand theft auto i mean come on grand theft auto isnt that fun i mean find a game witha point that doesnt completely outline killing for example ghost recon 2 is modeled after special forces not randomly killing plp so pleaz both sides need to look at the details better jack thompson is over the top he even refured to plp who make shooters as *****s i have every rite to play a shooter and if u like gta go head play it i just dont want to see you kill some1
No, games are banned in YOUROPE because because you guys were the ones who influenced him to kill 33 innocent victims. Listen to his tapes, youtube it, do what you have to. Lots of it was geared towards things that were brought over by the YOUROPEANS. LMAO.
PWNT
And yes, I hope someone murders 33 of your family members because I wouldn't care since I don't know them. LMAO
Oh No! My favorite color is green!
sad.
thats why he did it people. he listend ed to u2 only the most satanic and violent band evar.. i piss on jack thompson
Dr. Phil is an even bigger idiot for listening to an idiot like Jack Thompson.
Blame those dirty crooks at the library! Giving dark movies to kids. I bet you can get more controversial entertainment at a library than at a game store, seriously.
how can u say that GTA isn't fun? o_o
I remember watching videos of the massacre afterwards on the news... and there would be fat cops hiding with m16s behind wimpy little bushes just camping there...
omg i like to see what jack says now haha
... he still played them.
/retard.
PWNED
Guess from what race the american race come from? the European race! Now ***** off both of you cause we all know we Latin Americans are superior, smarter, stronger, have more dexterity, and make better music. Americas+Europe ans+Australians
Something wrong with the post, a glitch in thelast part :S
Americans + Europeans + Australians < Africans < Arabs + Asians < US LATIN AMERICANS *****ES!
The true problem is... he was black.
No, he was not an asian, he just covered himself up in another ethnic look like Michael Jackson did before him. But he IS black.
Now we have the reason for this horrible massacre: Blacks are all criminals!
I KNEW A LOT OF THE PEOPLE I LIVE THERE
I'm black and I'm not a criminal. u think when i get older I'm gonna become 1? ***** U cuz u don't kno wut ur talkin about.
why is it the idiot? i guess u cant get past ur ways o well u dont have to post such ignorant stuff
why post and ignorant thing like that why make urself look like an idiot it seems u only look at the americans that dont have souls then the ones that do
Everybody gets depress and people cope with all the time. Some people seek therapy. Some people drink or exercise. Some people take prescription pill. It's like tricking you mind to say it's okay. You are still screw up in your head. You can deal with it better and better.
I don't think video game, movies, or music will make you kill somebody. People have much more self control than that. What I am pointing finger is that antidepressant pills that korean boy was taking. Antidepressant pills are know for more harm than good. IF you look at up Press release by FDA on antidepressant pills. It says, In 2004, the FDA concluded that antidepressant medications increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children and adolescents with depression. Nobody really talks about this because pharmaceuticals are huge business.
Dr. Phil needs to get a job lol rags on video games lol i cant believe this lol
But ppl have to get high somehow on legal drugs.
lol
I kid, I kid.
But seriously, Jack Thompson is really stupid and biased on saying that video games influences killing. Does he have a fracking stick shoved up his ass or something?
I always enjoyed reading their news about saving $1 dollar by shopping with amazon.
Now how does this make you feel?
its because of U2 always throwing random spanish crap into there songs.
If the school's policy allowed students to carry guns they would be alive today. What would he do if he knew others had guns too?
wow there is a lot worst violent movie then there is games and they say nothing about the people and why would a game make u want to kill someone
i heard he played counter-strike:source which i own. you are aloud to be a terrorist (bad guy) or a counter-terrorist (good guy) ethier way this game can make you want shoot the ***** out of somthing believe me if it werent for the fact that i dont own a weapon i would problably go crazy, but i dont got one ;)
This is all sounding to much like a south park episode_-*
w/e this should spark up some more interesting news
Cho was obviously deranged and blaming guns,video games and nra members is ignorant. Someone intent on causing mass casualties don't need a gun to do so..
Let's see cars are quite effective along with bombs or fires .
Point is nut jobs will continue to kill even if the sheep get their way and ban guns.They'll just find new tools to kill with.
I agree with sheep out there. If students with ccw permits had been able to exercise their right to carry on campus. Cho would have been put down long before taking 32 lives.
i heared he played mario bros. you are aloud to be a red plumper or a green plumper either way this game can maku you want jump on peepels heads, believe me if it werent for the fact that i cannot jump so high i would probably go crazy, but i just have to train harder ! ;)
I don't have a soul??? I wondered why I always felt so hollow when I murdered entire school buses of children. You ignorant f***ing boob, go take your hate somewhere else.
He's being sarchastic.
He was being sarcastic. Anybody with a shred of intelligence knows Cho wasn't black, it was painfully obvious. American Patriot was trying to make a (crude) ironic point by blaming it on something so obviously not true but so quick to be pointed at in so many instances. For the love of god, please tell me you didn't actually miss that.
Nothing like being caught in the crossfire. I love the fact that students at my college carry guns all the time, it makes me feel a LOT safer that some unbalanced whackjob won't shoot me. Unless I'm the first he's aiming at, then I guess I'm pretty screwed. But lord knows, the gun I carried with me will keep him from shooting me in the back of the head. Geezus. Why is it everyone thinks that carrying MORE guns is the answer? How about we all just carry nukes? It'll make everyone too afraid to use their own, and the world will be a truly safe place!
Give me a freaking break, there are just some places where guns are NOT appropriate. PERIOD.
Where's the news media to report that violent videos did not derange Cho's evil mind?! Nowhere in sight because they're only out for sensationalism.
People, mostly americans, seem to think owning a gun is okay, as it's only for defense and stuff. Well, people use those very same guns to kill other out of revenge, hate, etc. Guns should be banned from every household. Even with the risk of being killed by outlaws. Less guns means less deaths.
Stop playing GTA then
He was deranged and had no sense of moral judgment according to what he did. Any sane person would have questioned things before he went through with it all. There are more reasons to why people do these things than VIDEO GAMES. For years, I have wondered to myself... WHY? Why are people so retarded as to blame a GAME for someones mental instability? I guess I should have seen it coming. First it was movies, then music with violent lyrics... now video games. God knows what will be blamed next.
To be corrupted by a game you must be hanging on by the thinnest final thread of moral fabric and something IN the game must have a 1 in 50 billion chance of tickling you the wrong way before getting you to snap. However, if someones in that kind of mental state, why would they feel like playing a game anyway? My two cents.
Jack Thompson is a *****s***ing idiot. Tarantino has to kill his pathetic lousy ass on violent video games. Jack Thompson is a fat f****ng retard and who does not care about games. All he gives a big s**t to innocent people. I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!. CHARGE!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!! ATTACK!!!!!!!!! !!!!!
LMAO.
"Americans + Europeans + Australians < Africans < Arabs + Asians < US LATIN AMERICANS *****ES!"
1) Latino Americans have the highest ratio in uninsured motorists category.
2) The last time I checked, the top athletes, performers, and criminals are Black.
3) Superior? LOL, Mexicans are mutts from Native AMERICANS and Spaniards. Not only that, you guys don't even get along with each other. Mexicans vs. El Salvadorian vs. Puerto Rican vs. Hondurians vs. Latino-Americans vs. Hispanics? WTF IS THAT?
4) The only thing Latino Americans do well is provide great services for the community, whether it's lawn mowing, agriculture, factory jobs, selling weed/drugs, or cheap prostitution.
5) History has taught us that Japan (the size of California) were close to taking control of Asia. And if you don't know, Asia is the most populated continent in the world. Therefore, if little Japan was able to have such a huge hold on a continent that big, they must have superior discipline thus making them sk337 sk337.
Headshot!
Map change...
Then he would have bought an assault rifle and body armor and would have hid it somewhere that morning when nobody was around then got it out when everyone was in class and killed them anyway.
Do you know how stupid you sound suggesting people bring guns to school?
well did u read ahead about blacks being all criminals u idiot