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WoW linked to Virginia Tech suicide

Posted Jan 25, 2008 at 5:58PM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: Wii, PS3, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PC Gaming Tags: Blizzard, Virginia

Daniel Kim, a senior at Virginia Tech - Image 1

Daniel Kim, a senior at Virginia Tech, was found dead in the parking lot of a Target store in Christiansburg, VA. Preliminary investigation immediately determined that the 21-year old died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Upon further investigation, it was found that Kim was an avid World of Warcraft gamer, thus linking another tragic death to gaming.

While official reports do peg that Kim spent hours online on Blizzard Entertainment's cash cow MMORPG, the fact that players he befriended online were aware and duly concerned of Kim's waning emotional health also did not go unnoticed.

Apparently, emails from his WoW pals were sent to Virginia Tech in hopes that the administration would resolve Kim's emotional issues before things got out of hand.

Shaun Pribush, a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, explicitly stated that they knew Kim had purchased a US$ 200 pistol and had tried to commit suicide several times before. It was noted that the such attempts failed before, and Pribush remained in contact with university officials to ensure Kim's safety.

Unfortunately, Virginia Tech's Care Team, the ones in charge of monitoring student welfare, apparently could not prevent the death of another student. Though Kim was found and questioned before he committed suicide, the young male replied that he was okay. The police and the Care Team did not press further.

While several third-parties have begun to question the manner that the case was handled - and how it ended so tragically despite ample time and warning - there were a few parties that were allegedly linking Kim's death to gaming.

Additional information we've scrounged for did not explicitly name World of Warcraft as the reason for the Kim's suicidal tendencies. In fact, it has been speculated by many experts commenting on the recent incident to be the effect of low self-esteem. Further insight into the case eventually revealed that Kim may have been emotionally distraught from a case of identity crisis.

William Kim, Daniel's father, revealed that his son had a haircut one evening after coming home to Reston, Virginia. Apparently, the haircut was said to have disappointed Daniel. William said it made him look too much like Seung-Hui Cho, the shooter of the April 2007 killings at the same university. "He said 'I look just the same, they can't tell the difference,'" William Kim said.

Months after the shootings, William noted that his son left home donning a cap and sunglasses to disguise his looks. And disguises seemed to be the young male's forte, for his father and even his sister, Jeannette Kim, couldn't tell if anything else was wrong. More details on this as we come across them.

We extend our deepest condolences to Daniel Kim's family and friends. This is truly a tragic loss - to loved ones, to classmates, and to fellow gamers alike.

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When these things happen, there's always the unanswered question "Why?"

No one will ever know, but there will always be speculation. Forty years ago they would have said it was because he was bottle fed instead of breast fed. Thirty years ago they would have said it was because he watched too much TV. Today the spotlight is on gaming.

# You don't half put up some iffy headlines — Demibeard 2008-01-26 00:13

Oh QJ.net, looking for extra diggs?

It sounds to me, from your report that the WoW players actually tried to help this poor chap.

I guess that headline wouldn't have had so many readers.

The thing about people with suicidal tendencies is that they usually end up succeeding.

It's a sad world.

# uhh... — Azrael_666 2008-01-26 06:29

i have a friend who plays wow nonstop, and he has some mental issues... actually alot... aparently he used to cut himself, and he goes to therapy, and he wanted to kill this girl at school, threatening to kill her... i have a feeling that alot of ppls that play wow have mental issues and use wow as an escape... i'm not siding with the gov't, but i'm not siding with gaming either.. i'm in between...

# sucks... — RexNox 2008-01-26 07:04

RIP.

# correlation equals NOT causality! — platon 2008-01-26 07:49

he played a video game AND he killed himself, wow, that means it's because of the game, LOL.

It's like saying that bowling caused the colombine tragedy, it's just plain stupid.

ps: why post useless topic like these Qj?

# He's raiding in heaven now — tacopalypse 2008-01-26 08:59

R.I.P.

# ? — hooger 2008-01-26 14:07

Did he drop any good loot?

# yeah... — mreverdred01 2008-01-26 16:13

What about the 12 million other people that play world of warcraft and don't kill somebody?

# key lines — sharkhunter66 2008-01-26 17:09

after reading these few lines i dont need to read anymore.

Kim's waning emotional health also did not go unnoticed.

Kim's emotional issues before things got out of hand.

HE WAS ALREADY FXCKED UP IN THE HEAD SO ITS NOT EVEN THE FXCKIN GAMES FAULT, ITS HIS OWN DAMN FAULT FOR NOT GETTING HELP OR HIS NEGLECTFUL PARENTS NOT TRYING TO HELP OR EVEN WORSE NOT HAVE A CLUE. GET A CLUE!!!!

# ... — Silver-Tiger 2008-01-27 00:47

Although that was very mean, that made my day...

XD

R.I.P.

# http://VisionAndPsychosis.net — L K Tucker 2011-12-28 15:17

The video game alone could not cause the suicide but failing to use a peripheral vision blocking scheme (Cubicle Level Protection) where others moved in peripheral vision as the game was played would cause psychiatric symptoms. This problem was discovered and solved forty years ago with the office cubicle.

There is evidence that the Virginia Tech shooter, Redlake Tribal school, Jokela Finland school, and Atlanta Day Trader killers all created this problem.

Barton, in Atlanta, believed he was having a mental break from inherited mental illness.
VisionAndPsycho sis_Net

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WoW linked to Virginia Tech suicide

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