Sun-Kyung Cho, the sister of Virginia Tech mass murderer Seung-Hui Cho, issued a statement on behalf of her family.
BLACKSBURG, Va. -- The family of Virginia Tech gunman Seung-Hui Cho told The Associated Press on Friday that they feel "hopeless, helpless and lost," and "never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence."
"He has made the world weep. We are living a nightmare," said a statement issued by Cho's sister, Sun-Kyung Cho, on the family's behalf.
It was the Chos' first public comment since the 23-year-old student killed 32 people and committed suicide Monday in the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history.
Raleigh, N.C., lawyer Wade Smith provided the statement to the AP after the Cho family reached out to him. Smith said the family would not answer any questions, and neither would he.
"Our family is so very sorry for my brother's unspeakable actions. It is a terrible tragedy for all of us," said Sun-Kyung Cho, a 2004 Princeton University graduate who works as a contractor for a State Department office that oversees American aid for Iraq.
...Authorities are in frequent contact with Cho's family, but have not placed them in protective custody, said Assistant FBI Director Joe Persichini, who oversees the bureau's local Washington office. Authorities believe they remain in the Washington area, but are staying with friends and relatives.
Persichini said the FBI and Fairfax County Police have assured Cho's parents that they will investigate any hate crimes directed at the family if and when they ever return to their Centreville home.
...Cho's name was given as "Cho Seung-Hui" by police and school officials earlier this week. But the the South Korean immigrant family said their preference was "Seung-Hui Cho." Many Asian immigrant families Americanize their names by reversing them and putting their surnames last.
Cho's family must be devastated.
They not only have to deal with the loss of their loved one; they'll no doubt drag around a heavy burden of guilt with them for the rest of their lives.
They have to question themselves. They have to be feeling at fault for not realizing what Cho was capable of doing.
I wonder if the parents feel responsible for creating a monster.
In the case of suicide, but especially in the case of murder-suicide, the killer leaves a trail of living victims. Cho had to know that he was going to put his family through hell.
I guess he didn't care. How this would affect the people who loved him was irrelevant to him.
Notice that Cho's sister is a Princeton graduate.
Obviously, Cho and his family had been given tremendous educational opportunities and a chance to live the American dream. It makes his alienation and his rantings about the rich and the elite seem that much more demented.
Read the Cho family statement.
It says the family is heartbroken. I believe it.
I think it was particulary appropriate to actually mention the names of each victim rather than just lump them together.
It highlights the fact that the Cho family recognizes that 32 people were killed by Seung-Hui. It acknowledges each loss more personally.
What's great about the family's statement is that it doesn't say anything about their own fears of becoming victims of revenge.
The family expresses their sorrow. They aren't asking for forgiveness. It's a very selfless statement. That's unusual in today's public apologies.
4 comments:
I can't even begin to imagine what his family must be going through. As a parent, you live your dreams through your children and it is clear that his parents sacrificed much to enable their children to aspire to greatness.
I like how all of his extended family are trying to distance themselves from him...calling him an idiot or a "son of a b---ch". How cold. So for his parents, not only will they know that their son killed 32 people and wounded others, but their own family is participating in the media circus.
And for his poor sister, who up until now seem to be a responsible, bright young lady. We all have many character defining moments in life whether good or bad. I hope she can take this without having this damage her for the rest of her life.
My family is very similar to the Chos. My father could be Mr. Cho. Despite what I want to do in my life, I would never do anything that would bring shame to my family. I guess their son just didn't give a damn about his family. So sad and so tragic for everyone, from those who perished or were injured, to everyone who was touched by this tragedy.
Peace...
I feel compassion for Cho's family.
His horrific act has placed an unbearable burden on them.
It is all so sad.
re: the "idiot" comment by his great-aunt. That was just a poor translation job by the CNN correspondant. I'm a Naturalized US Citizen born in Korean, and ironically, came to the US at the same age as Seung Hui Cho. A better translation of his great aunt's comments to CNN would have been, "that fool" in the context of "what has he done, that fool." It's not meant as an insult to his intelligence, but as said by someone with tremendous frustration in their voice.
Thanks for that clarification.
A poor translation can put a completely different spin on a statement.
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