(Graphic Content)
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. 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
32. I can't believe this play,, where the hell are his parents something must have happened in his life to write things such as this...how horrible
steph at 2:51PM on Apr 17th 2007
33. The fact that students were concerned of a kid who might be a school shooter and didnt say anything about it is just unbelievably stupid, 33 people lost their lives do to the failure of his classmates to act. That is horrible! This tragedy shouldnt of happened, the fact that it did is beyond logical
runescape4life04 at 2:52PM on Apr 17th 2007
34. 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
35. hey guys this isnt something to be fighting over. i knew some poeple up there at tech abd its terrible. i hate that some kid would have the nerve to do this i hope that all the familes hurt during this know that there a lot of people thinking about them. may GOD bless your families taht got hurt. Brittney
farminva09 at 2:52PM on Apr 17th 2007
36. Wow......after the events that occurred yesterday you would think we as a nation would begin to focus on the more important things in life......but no i see we still have idiots like Stacey who refuse to focus on this tragedic happening and the purpose of posting these writings....My prayers go out to all the families and everyone directly affected by yesterday's events....may god be with you.
Avrey at 2:52PM on Apr 17th 2007
37. Hindsight's 20/20...if anyone would have censored his work, there would be freedom of speech issues.
No one saw this coming, you can make rules, but there is still that small percent that throw life in to chaos. I have friends at VT, thankfully they weren't harmed, but you could ask him or anyone else, no one saw this coming. It seems easy after the fact, but before, no one would have seen this coming.
CowboyonPatrol at 2:52PM on Apr 17th 2007
38. A new low AOL...I've never posted to anything on the net before because I believe it's a waste, but posting this makes me physically sick. 15 min. of fame for one of your own at the expense of the victims' families. Please take this down.
Jynx at 2:52PM on Apr 17th 2007
39. MY HEART GOES OUT TO ALL OF THE FAMILIES THAT HAS LOST THERE LOVES ONES. THIS IS A TIME WHEN WE WISH FOR ANOTHER HOUR WITH OUR CHILDREN OR FRIENDS. AS IF OUR FAMILIES SUFFER WE ALL SUFFER ALONG WITH THESE FAMILIES. WE AS MOTHERS FATHERS ETC, KNOW WHAT IT IS TO LOVE AND ALWAYS WANT WHATS BEST FOR OUR CHILDREN, YET NOT EVENA SCHOOL CAN KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFETY. I SAY THAT THESE OFFICERS NEED TO DO A LOT MORE THAN JUST STAND AROUND WHILE THEREIS A SHOOTING IN PLACE. WHY WASN'T THE SCHOOL LOCK DOWN? SO MANY QUESTION AND NO ANSWER WHY, BECAUSE THEY FAILED OUR CHILDREN. MY HEART GOES OUT TO ALL OF THE FAMILIES FRIENDS AND STUDENTS.WE AS MOTHERS SUFFER ALONG WITH YOU ALL. WE AS PEOPLE HURT AND FEEL SO MUCH PAIN. MAY GOD BLESS US ALL AND MAY GOD GUIDE US THROUGH OUT THIS PAIN. TURN TO HIM FOR HE WILL PUT PEASE IN YOUR HEARTS. BELEAVE IN HIM AND HE WOULD SHOW YOU HOW YOUR CHILDREN ARE SAFE AND HAPPY WITH HIM AND SOON WHEN ITS YOUR CHANCES YOU WILL BE WITH THEM AGAIN. TO THE, WE NEED JUSTICES. GOD BLESS MY THE LORD HEAL US ALL THROUGH THIS PAIN. MAY THE LORD KEEP OUR LOVE ONES SAFE NOW AND FOREVER AFTER ALL WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE LIFE WITH HIM.
VICKY at 2:52PM on Apr 17th 2007
40. Didn't they think that maybe this may have been part of his life? Maybe he was molested as a child. It was obviously a cry out for help. I know if someone wrote something this disturbing in my sons school we'd have been called right away to seek help for him!
Gina at 2:53PM on Apr 17th 2007
41. This is the work of an English Major? Yes, as a Journalism teacher, I would certainly say if I received some garbage like this from one of my students I would definately want to observer them over the course of the class. There are many people who believe in a connection between what we think and what we do. Cho certainly had a lot of negativity. It will be interesting to see what kind of relationships he had and what his home life was like. Sounds like he's been exposed to domestic violence and a shoddy family life. What a shame! What a tragedy!
Kevan at 2:53PM on Apr 17th 2007
42. This is just such a horrible tradegy that happened and my prayers are for all of the families, students and faculty affected by this. As far as this play, it seems this boy was really troubled.
kelly at 2:54PM on Apr 17th 2007
43. 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
44. I didn't take it from Stacey to be critiquing his work.....I took it more as an overall evaluation of his thinking process.....like, to me, it's written by someone with dillusional thinking and who is also emotionally immature.....yes, a senior in college, but people with this kind of irratic thinking are usually emotional immature and can't even fathom a healthy relationship with anyone.
Cin at 2:54PM on Apr 17th 2007
45. Whoa this kid was a genius playwright! Its too bad he went pyscho.
e mac at 2:55PM on Apr 17th 2007