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AOL News has obtained two plays a classmate says were written by Cho Seung-Hui. Ian MacFarlane, the former classmate and current AOL employee, provided us with the plays. A note from Mr. MacFarlane and links to the works appear below.What happened yesterday:
When I first heard about the multiple shootings at Virginia Tech yesterday, my first thought was about my friends, and my second thought was "I bet it was Seung Cho."
Cho was in my playwriting class last fall, and nobody seemed to think much of him at first. He would sit by himself whenever possible, and didn't like talking to anyone. I don't think I've ever actually heard his voice before. He was just so quiet and kept to himself. Looking back, he fit the exact stereotype of what one would typically think of as a "school shooter" – a loner, obsessed with violence, and serious personal problems. Some of us in class tried to talk to him to be nice and get him out of his shell, but he refused talking to anyone. It was like he didn't want to be friends with anybody. One friend of mine tried to offer him some Halloween candy that she still had, but he slowly shook his head, refusing it. He just came to class every day and submitted his work on time, as I understand it.
A major part of the playwriting class was peer reviews. We would write one-act plays and submit them to an online repository called Blackboard for everyone in the class to read and comment about in class the next day. Typically, the students give their opinions about the plays and suggest ways to make it better, the professor gives his insights, then asks the author to comment about the play in class.
When we read Cho's plays, it was like something out of a nightmare. The plays had really twisted, macabre violence that used weapons I wouldn't have even thought of. Before Cho got to class that day, we students were talking to each other with serious worry about whether he could be a school shooter. I was even thinking of scenarios of what I would do in case he did come in with a gun, I was that freaked out about him. When the students gave reviews of his play in class, we were very careful with our words in case he decided to snap. Even the professor didn't pressure him to give closing comments.
After hearing about the mass shootings, I sent one of my friends a Facebook message asking him if he knew anything about Seung Cho and if he could have been involved. He replied: "dude that's EXACTLY what I was thinking! No, I haven't heard anything, but seriously, that was the first thing I thought when I heard he was Asian."
While I "knew" Cho, I always wished there was something I could do for him, but I couldn't think of anything. As far as notifying authorities, there isn't (to my knowledge) any system set up that lets people say "Hey! This guy has some issues! Maybe you should look into this guy!" If there were, I definitely would have tried to get the kid some help. I think that could have had a good chance of averting yesterday's tragedy more than anything.
While I was hesitant at first to release these plays (because I didn't know if there are laws against it), I had to put myself in the shoes of the average person researching this situation. I'd want to know everything I could about the killer to figure out what could drive a person to do something like this and hopefully prevent it in the future. Also, I hope this might help people start caring about others more no matter how weird they might seem, because if this was some kind of cry for attention, then he should have gotten it a long time ago.
As far as the victims go, as I was heading to bed last night, I heard that my good friend Stack (Ryan Clark) was one of the first confirmed dead. I didn't want to believe that I'd never get to talk to him again, and all I could think about was how much I could tell him how much his friendship meant to me. During my junior year, Ryan, another friend and I used to get breakfast on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Shultz Dining Hall, one of the cafeterias on campus, and it was always the highlight of my day. He could talk forever it seemed and always made us laugh. He was a good friend, not just to me, but to a lot of people, and I'll miss him a lot.
Click on the links below the read the plays. WARNING: the plays contain profanity and scenes with disturbing content.
- Read Play #1: 'Richard McBeef'
- Read Play #2: 'Mr. Brownstone'
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 689)
31. The thing is, who would you report him to? What would you say? You can't lock someone up for being "strange". If so many, many people would be in jail and then there's the question of civil liberties. So until the tragedy happens, there's just nothing you can do.
Marti at 2:47PM on Apr 17th 2007
32. Madeline, if you had carefully read Mr. MacFarlane's message before the play, you would understand that one of the reasons he has posted the play is to perhaps uncover clues or some reasoning behind what this clearly disturbed man did yesterday, not to disregard the impact of this tragedy. Granted, Stacy's comment is totally unhelpful, but as a writer myself, I do recognize an unsettling tone and theme in this play that is indicative of personal issues. And honestly, I think some people are trying as hard as possible to find a single answer to this tragedy when the unfortunate reality is that there probably isn't just one. It is obvious that this man was sick, but I've read far worse, so I truly wonder what American society would think about MANY writers in their formative years. My heart goes out to the families and friends of the victims. God bless and keep you.
Orchid at 2:47PM on Apr 17th 2007
33. I feel you guys shouldn't be fighting like that right now. Virigina Tech is going through a lot right now and all everyone should do is be praying for them and be thinking about what they are going through.
heather at 2:48PM on Apr 17th 2007
34. Disturbing read..especially chilling after the events of yesterday. No matter how you analyze this, it's a heartbreaking and gut wrenching look into something and someone that should have never been able to go this far. Leaves me fairly speechless, not to mention disgusted.
carol at 3:01PM on Apr 17th 2007
35. There is no way this is really from the shooter. If anyone really turned this in to a playwriting class they would fail. They aren't even plays. Just violent nonsense. Seems like it's from someone trying to get publicity, not from the actual killer. Anyone turning this rubbish into a class, even for peer review would be submitted for psychiatric review immediately or would be out of school.
Tim at 3:34PM on Apr 17th 2007
36. Aloha
The tragic event was extremely sad but I shall pray for the angry man who killed so many innocent people. His anger and frustration was so intense that he just couldn't control himself anymore.
Forgive and Learn.
Kameamaio at 3:10PM on Apr 17th 2007
37. I COULD GIVE A MAD F*** BOUT VIRGINA AND WAT GOES ON IN IT WE GOT ENOUGH SHIT GOIN ON N OUR OWN CITIES N STATES TO WORRY BOUT SOME SHIT THATS ALREADY DONE N OVER WIT 33 PPLZ DEAD OK BIG F****** WOO AINT THE FIRST TIME SOMEONE STUPID DID SOME SHIT LIKE THAT AND AINT GONNA BE THE LAST ONLY PEOPLE TO BLAME R THE SKOOLZ THEY THE ONES WHO SUPPOSE TO MAKE SURE SHIT IS SAFE N THEN SOME SHIT LIKE THIS HAPPENS YEA O-----K NEWAYZ ALL I KNO IS THEY EEDA STOP INTERRUPTIN MY SOAPS LIKE DAT
JESSICA at 2:49PM on Apr 17th 2007
38. yeah, hello! stop picking on the first comment... it is a VALID point. He was not simply a poor writer with poor control of the language (English major BTW)... but he is mentally immature as well; which is evident in his writing.
This could have been a story about a happy child, and his lack of stability would still have been evident.
plastic at 2:52PM on Apr 17th 2007
39. Absolutely pathetic writing.
This kid didn't need a counselor, he needed to be locked up.
professors and other teachers need to respond more swiftly to this sort of thing.
Every shooting I have heard about, including one here in my town a decade ago all involved stories of kids with obvious troubled lives, and people knew about it, and worse were worried about it and did notihng.
Now is the time to report all suspicious activity.
ALL OF IT!
Dennis at 3:52PM on Apr 17th 2007
40. What was the grade the teacher gave him for that piece of garbage?
I can't believe he made it to be a senior.
We don't need people like this in our schools.
Joan Hale at 2:51PM on Apr 17th 2007
41. This "thing" looks like it was written by a screwed up 9 year old. It's unbelievable that it was written by a student of Virginia Tech. It's not even grammatically correct. I guess Virginia Tech doesn't require much. Oh, and to boot, he was an English major! LMAO.
Tina at 2:57PM on Apr 17th 2007
42. As a student of Franklin County High School in Rocky Mount, VA, the tradgedy at VA Tech will remain in the forefront of my thoughts for a very long time. As simply a student, knowing that there are disturbed children everywhere such as Hui, I think it is important to keep in mind that sometimes barely reaching out is not enough. What he did was horrific and no one will ever know if it could have been prevented. It is a shame that someone who had no friends could not have been reached out to in time not only to save his young life, but the lives of thirty two bright, young, innocent students.
Hayleigh at 2:51PM on Apr 17th 2007
43. If this didn't send up a red flag. He obviously had issues. Things he was trying to work out in his own head. Where are his parents, what do they say. Does anyone know a backround on this looney? Hopefully this tragic incendent will open peoples eyes to not waiting until something happens to take people serious when they act out in other ways then violence first. Stop it before it gets to this!
Michelle at 3:09PM on Apr 17th 2007
44. This guy was seriously messed up in the head... was this his life as a teenage boy maybe?
Derrick at 2:54PM on Apr 17th 2007
45. WOW... very disturbing.
b3anie at 10:45AM on Jun 5th 2007