Collegiate Times

I didn't get any alert. Another failure...

I also did not get any alert.

Got the email, but no text

I haven't gotten an alert yet either...

no alert here either...

8:13pm Just now got Text, VT email & personal email.

oh hush i got multiple of both

I got the email at 7:44 and just now got the text at 8:22

I got THREE text alerts and i haven't been in school there for 2 years... (wtf?!)

I graduated a year ago and I got a text and a phone call. Well done, VT Alerts. For those who didn't get the text or call, it might be your service provider.

I got 3 texts, email and a phone call.

I got 4 texts and an email a while ago

I got 4 texts and an email a while ago

I got 4 texts and an email a while ago

My roommate and I (both alumni) got two phone calls and 3 texts each. Well done Tech

There definitely a problem with the alerts. I received 3 txts but at 8:20 and the e-mail was sent out at 7:40....a txt msg 40 mins late is not an alert....

got several alerts.. through out.. and for those who aren't receiving any alerts, i think you have to subscribe to it first.. http://www.alerts.vt.edu/

i got 2 texts and i graduated in may 07 ALSO WE BEAT WAKE FOREST

i got 2 texts and i graduated in may 07 ALSO WE BEAT WAKE FOREST

got several alerts.. through out.. and for those who aren't receiving any alerts, i think you have to subscribe to it first.. http://www.alerts.vt.edu/

How do I get off the alert list? I don't and have never been to VT and don't even live in the state.

Anonymous- the idea that you received the initial alert late is incorrect. You received an email notifying you and a text later (the second form of notification you chose) to follow up. You can choose how to be notified. Sooo.... the system worked for you.

Don't be such an idiot Tom. Especially with something so serious as this.

I was at the women's basketball game and didn't hear my phone.

The first email message I got said that it was "murder". Isn't this jumping to conclusions? How do they know it was murder, and not voluntary manslaughter?

Anon -- does that make a difference in how dead someone is? It is an alert, not a trial.

Good job on the quick updates. The site is running very slow with all the traffic, but I appreciate being able to get the very latest information here.

NO e-mail received, 8 texts received.

The fact that your debating whether or not you got the alert and don't seem concerned that yet ANOTHER person got killed on this campus is frightening in and of itself...

Sounds like a domestic dispute to me.

The stabbing happened between 7-7:15 PM, yet we did not get notified until after 8:00, and you all are congratulating VT Alert system?

I got my first alert at 7:40. Not too bad, considering the time in responding and transmitting the data.

So because you got it at 7:40 that makes you not concerned? Someone was murdered. Whether it was domestic or not, it happened. And the alert system, however well it works, is a REACTIVE measure. At this point we have no proactive or preventative measures, so I think you should change your perspective and understand that no matter how quickly you receive a text message, you should be concerned for your safety.

I started getting calls from my friends as I was heading to the campus for class, got off the bus and rushed home.It was when I reached home that I received the VT alerts.

Murder on the scale we witnessed on April 16 is of course very rare but, I'm sorry to say, murder itself is relatively much less so, Ms. Chick. Let's not assume that none of us cares that someone else died just because we're not discussing it here. As another poster so eloquently pointed out, it doesn't make a difference in how dead she is. The VT Alerts system is helping keep the rest of us safe, and our feedback, our "debate", helps make it a more reliable resource. Quite frankly, the fact that you seemed to have missed that point is frightening to me.

@Still concerned: This is why people should be allowed to defend themselves.

I've received two different emails, the first at 7:52, and the same text 4 times, probably because the phone was in my pocket so I didn't reply to the first sent text.

No no, banning bad things will make bad people go away and that's all we need. All college students are drunks and drug addicts and can't handle responsibility. ... Aren't you sick of this senseless argument too?

I don't mind that I didn't get an email until 7:40, if it took that long for the police to notify campus and for the emails to get sent. What bothers me is that I was in the Art Armory at 7 for a class, heard the sirens, and didn't get a text notification of what was going on until 8:20. No one came over to the building and said 'lock the doors' or anything.

@Self-defense -- sarcasm aside, I agree. 21 year old students are full adults and only a small percentage are really 'irresponsible'. Yet, the whole population is penalized. Concealed carry is a right being denied, and hence self-defense is compromised.

Well, the VT alerts system isn't malfunctioning. For those of you who did not receive a text, it is probably your provider. Meaning basically, you did not get one if you don't have verizon. I mean, do you really expect t mobile, sprint/at and t to come through? I hope not.

@Ryan: I have my alerts set up to call me, and that worked fine although it was 20+ minutes after the email was sent, and I have AT&T.

i was at squires studying when it happened. we had a lock down at around 7:30 or maybe even earlier. no one knew what was going on until around 7:45 when the wegsite was updated. i personally received 4 texts and an email but not until after 8:10

Ryan, please refrain from spreading misinformation. I received my text alert just fine through T-Mobile.

3 incidents, 3 years? I picked VT b/c it was safe. To the people who will talk about guns on campus, please don't. Who's to say she would have had a gun with her to protect her....

@'what is happening' -- so, because there's a low chance that this ONE victim wasn't likely (in your mind?) to be carrying, NO ONE should be allowed to? Where is your logic?

No, my point is that it wouldn't have helped in this case....guns don't belong in a place of learning....

This incident and the massacre carried out by Seung Ho Chi (or however you spell is name) happened to be perpetrated by Asian people. Perhaps those narrow-minded people who think that African-Americans and Muslims are the main purveyors of violence in our society will think again. Violence is evil and it knows no race, religion, culture or socio-economic status.

Crazy people don't belong in a place of learning. Concealed weapons have zero effect on a student's ability to learn.

@'what is happening' -- Its nice to think that there are no guns in a school, but what is written on paper as policy is not magically truth. When the unfortunate event occurs that someone does attempt to harm someone with a gun (or any other deadly weapon), the victim, and the other people around them are forced to sit helplessly, even though they may be trained, licensed, and smart enough to handle a weapon responsibly. The current policy in effect only prevents those that are compliant (and affiliated with VT) from carrying a weapon. It has been demonstrated too many times before, that having this policy does nothing to remove the need for reasonable self-defense.

I live in the GLC and am not allowed to go home. Thankfully I have friends I can stay with. Sure would be nice if housing tried to make sure I was okay or needed a place to stay. The GLC houses a lot of international students who are in the US for the first time. Where are they supposed to go if they don't know anyone? Perhaps it would be nice if the Cook Counseling center would see if anyone needed help or someone to talk to. I'm so glad the millions of dollars spent after April 16 keep us safe and informed and mindful of the emotional grief this puts residents under! Two of my friends who lived in the GLC at the time were killed in Norris. When will it end? Not until Jesus returns I guess.

@'what is happening' - When you go to Kroger are you so paralyzed by the thought that someone might be carrying a concealed handgun that you can't buy your groceries? I sure hope not. And thus do you honestly belive it would affect you any differently in a college classroom?

This incident has had a devastating effect on my mind. I dont think I will ever feel safe staying on campus late

@ Ricky The news said that GLC students are being allowed to enter and exit the building and that they can sleep their tonight. Don't know if that is accurate, just wanted to pass the info along.

No system is perfect. THe system relies on so many different networks and providers. I graduated and I got my first set of texts around 8:00. So I am nowhere near tech. There is the possibility as well that since all of you are concentrated could it have slowed down the msgs through the points of recieving towers? This def. brings up bad memories for a lot of us, but compared to what is, it is getting better. I don't doubt that the school will try to see how effective this was in the event of a real emergency.

Sounds to me the foreigners are the problem...I don't see anyone wanting to ban forks, spoons, or skillets, cars, oralcohol or drugs...all potential weapons

i was in the GLC right after it happened. They have been letting people who live their in the whole night as long as they go straight up to their rooms.

@ ccc don't jump to conclusions!

ccc sounds like he/she wants to ban the foreigners from coming to VT. Embracing isolationism/discriminationism is not a wise way at an academic institution.

We are all away from home and we live here at VT together as a family. Let us all pray together for the family of the deceased.

For all of you alum whining, first remember the most important thing...A family will receive a phone call that will impact their life forever. They will be told they lost a daughter, and who knows what other family ties are there not to mentions friends back home and here. But as far as the VT ALERTS go, it is your fault and not the university's! You have to sign on HokieSpa and then log into the alerts system and guess what...you can delete your contact information. Wow...and to think you graduated from Tech and can't figure that much out...

Zhu is a graduate assistant and teaching assistant in the Agriculture and Applied Economics department. His facebook profile shows a smiling guy. In other words, this guy was, unlike Cho, a functional and capable individual. It sounds like a lovers quarrel here just got way out of hand and Zhu did something absolutely drastic. But that was rage against one specific individual, not a group of strangers.

VT still holds a very special place in my heart and thoughts. My prayers and best wishes go out to those affected by this tragedy. Remember, "ut prosim." It helps to let off steam, but after you do that, think about how can you serve to improve the situation.

It's a shame really. I can imagine the perception that outsiders have of our school even though it is really one of the most beautiful higher learning establishments in the country...

It seems like Virginia Tech is cursed.

From what someone told me (a person that works with Au Bon Pan? at campus), Zhu was an ex-boyfriend. Dunno how accurate that is, though. It definitely sounds like a crime of passion, though. The guy kept stabbing her..poor thing. It happened so suddenly, too (from what I heard from a friend that lives in the GLC - I do too and chose to stay with friends last night instead).

So when someone steals your gun and shoots you with it you wont have a problem because you brought a gun to a fist fight and the fist fighter stole and used it.

CCW permit holders avoid confrontations like that 8:44. Statistically they are some of the safest citizens. But let's not bring this up here, wrong place. Especially since the victim was an International Student.

As someone who was working at Squires Student Center when all of this started i would just like to let everyone know that after we received information of a stabbing in GLC we locked down the building immediately. At the time of lockdown we were not sure as to what was truly going on because we only had word of mouth from other students. The vt alerts do the best it can and as i stood petrified in the food court of Squires watching all the doors, i felt the alerts went out in a timely manner because you dont want to send out alerts with false information and get everyone worked up. You also have to consider the fact that 40,000 alerts are not going to be received in 2 minutes...lets use common sense! Those of you who were here during 4/16 as i was the service providers could not handle all the calls/texts that were being made.

Prayers for the victim, her family and friends. No, we are not "cursed"....anymore than any community (including the Amish).

I received alerts around 7:50-8:00 on my cell phone... four of them to be exact. They were timely and informative and I appreciate the fact that Virginia Tech was so on top of this situation. Its difficult at best to be away from your child much less when this happens. Prayers for the family of this young lady. Prayers for the people that witnessed it also. Any tragedy, great or small, will always take us back to April 16. I know in speaking to my son, he was saddened and reminded yet again of how precious life is. God Bless VT!

I'm a little confused about the whole Squires thing, I was in Squires last night and left around 7:40. There were a bunch of cops at the doors and when I asked what had happened one of them told it was probably just a prank and that I can leave, so a whole bunch of us left. I think he must have been referring to the reports of shots at Squires (I didn't hear anything unusual the whole time I was in there). Everyone's saying it was locked down, but at that time it definately wasn't....my prayers go out to the victim and her friends and family. What a horrible thing, no one should have to deal with that.

So after bringing Eric Thompson to campus (you know, the guy who armed Cho), the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus guys are now going to try to use this as an excuse to push their agenda, I see...

I'm a little surprised at the fact that the author emphasized the person involved was of Asian descent. How does that factor into the story that another person on campus got murdered? The author should have been more generic about the incident considering what happened on campus in 2007. This could have a negative impact on the Asian students and other international students in general.

It is almost impossible to imagine the fear and suffering this young woman experienced. My heart goes out to her and her family and friends for this unspeakable loss. I hope that everyone can focus less on whether or not they got a timely alert, and more on sending their comfort and comdolences to the victim's loved ones.

If the murderer was black, they'd say the person was black, if the murderer was white, they'd say the person was white. If it's a fact that the person is Asian then that's what should be reported. Trying to be "generic" or P.C. about it doesn't help anyone and ruins the writing quality.

@VA4Life and company -- so you were correct, this is yet another example that illustrates our arguments for concealed carry on campus. Does logic elude you? You seem to know when the argument is valid, yet are trying to counter it with lies about Eric Thompson - I mean, I could better argue that the school armed Cho by giving him student loan $ that he used to buy the gun - what a weak argument.

VT is not cursed. It is a wonderful place to be and learn. There is no telling why this person snapped or did such a violent act. I do believe cultural difference do exist and always will. This is what make the world such an interesting place. I am very sorry for the families involved, and for the school. There should not be any need for these "Alerts," but thank god these things exist. My thoughts are with all of the Hokienation today.

Continuing, there are two points to take away from this. One is that the alerts system did nothing to PROTECT people, only to notify them of what happened. And second, the police were there in mere minutes and it was too late to save her. Had anyone there been amply armed (with anything, not just a gun) they could have stopped the attacker and possibly saved the woman. Other than that, you can rest assured that SCCC has known all along that things like this happen and that we need to be prepared.

embrace the dark side (distrust everyone)....come over to the SCCC

@Pritchard 101. You are incorrect. I have never seen the CT identify a suspect as white. As an example, see any of the stories about Mary Elizabeth Bowen when she ploughed into 8 pedestrians on Main St. - her race was never identified: http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/2007/06/20/virginia_tech_student_injures_eight_while_driving_drunk

A couple of friends and I were talking about whether they should allow people to conceal weapons for protection. In this case, the girl could have been able to protect herself. However, there is always the risk that someone is going to be immature and do something that leads to horrible consequences. But at the same time, would people be more cautious and respectful of others if they knew people were allowed to have concealed weapons for protection? I think it could go either way.

Embrace PEG's lies.....sign over your Constitutional rights and wait your turn to be a victim.

I should add that I'm sure the CT took the phrase "female Asian international student" directly from a police statement; they didn't come up with that on their own. But journalism standards dictate reporters identify race only when it is a truly relevant detail. In this story,race is irrelevant. For example, if the suspect had gotten away and a description had to be put out to help police locate him, then physical descriptions such as race would be relevant.

Here's a thought to consider... even if allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus, would you? I know I would, but that's me. There's nothing saying that the victim, if she had the choice, would choose to carry a weapon to defend herself. I'm a firm believer in being able to defend oneself by any means necessary and in the right to bear arms. Unfortunately, many people choose (when this right isn't being infringed upon by a so-called governing body such as a university) not to invoke this right.

I got my alert email at 8:01pm. I feel so disappointed about the E-alert system.

I find the whole "Asian student" thing ridiculous as well. NONE of the other articles on Google News say it was an "asian student". What journalistic standards the CT has, congrats!

@SCCC - so funny that you would ask someone if logic eluded them. You are pushing for concealed carry, but you've never stopped to ask what the consequences of such a thing would be. The likelihood of the victim in this case having a weapon with which to defend herself would be low, even if concealed carry was allowed. And by the way, wouldn't more people like the suspect have access to weapons? What if he had been carrying a concealed handgun rather than a knife. Would that have made anything about this better? And I hear it happened in front of witnesses. What would happen if one of those Good Samaritans happens to want to help. We could have ended up with more than one dead person on our hands. Besides, I personally (and many of the students with whom I've spoken) would no longer attend classes or eat at dining halls if I was aware my fellow students were packing heat.

Since the police are not identifying the victim, do you think they included that she was Asian to help identify her since they do not have a name?

Amy, Amy, Amy.. same old ignorant rhetoric. Do you think we're inhuman? Look at any of our informational documents, and you'll see every one of those issues addressed. We've spoken to over a dozen SWAT officers about it right here in VA - we know every risk involved. Second, what's with 'pushing'? Are we drug dealers? We fight for self-defense.. but we shouldn't push things like that, right? Then, wow. You wouldn't attend classes if people were "packing heat" (my favorite anti-gun phrase, btw)? Then you better stop eating out, shopping at grocery stores, and curl up in a ball at home, because there are thousands of permit holders right here in Blacksburg. Your uninformed 'logic' doesn't hold up to real, researched logic.. sorry.

That's exactly what I thought. Everyone is trying to make sure their friends and family are ok, but they can't release the victim's name yet. Giving as much descriptive info as possible helps people at least figure out who it isn't.

@Amy: What if someone there had a gun and shot him before he stabbed the girl to death? She, the victim, would be alive, and he, the assailant, would be dead. Is there something wrong with that? Is there something wrong with enabling people to protect themselves? or enabling others to protect those who cannot protect themselves? I personally carry a (legal) knife with me wherever I go, and had I been a witness to this I would have done whatever I could to keep him off of her. Why should the campus try and prevent me from doing that by giving the assailant an inherent advantage? As we have all noticed, most weapons (small pocketknives excluded) are banned from this campus, but yet people still obtain those weapons and use them in malicious manners - these policies do not fulfill their intended purpose, and they never will. Why should the rest of us, who obey the policies, be forced to be nothing more than sitting ducks?

What these policies amount to is a death sentence for innocent people. Sure, maybe this particular person wouldn't have had a weapon even if she were allowed to, but that is nothing but conjecture. Maybe none of the witnesses would have had a weapon. However, maybe they would have, but because of people in power who believe like you, there is essentially no chance at all of a witness coming to her rescue and potentially saving her life. Instead of permitting such a rescue with the possibility that it wont happen, you force it to be impossible, guaranteeing that nobody will save the victim of an attack like this.

@BJ: right, that's exactly what we need. Vigilante justice. No courts, no law enforcement, just the fear that everyone else in the room is armed. More guns and less laws... just like the safest places in the world... like Somalia. I hear Mogadishu is lovely this time of year. Tragic events happen, but arming everyone and relying on the psychology of game theory is reactionary, short sighted, and moronic.

Once again the "I need my gun for security" loons are out in droves, offering up conflicting arguments about why they need a concealed weapon on campus. Several offer "self defense" as a reason, but according to the reports, there wasn't anything to defend against. Then we have SCCC, who at 10:33 said "Had anyone there been amply armed (with anything, not just a gun) they could have stopped the attacker and possibly saved the woman." How would that armed person know to shoot the man? He might have felt threatened himself and was defending himself (a bit drastic, but who knows at this point)? Shooting the attacker sounds less like self defense and more like vigilante justice. So which is it? Self defense or judge/jury/executioner when an assailant appears? Do you shoot to kill or wound? Would it make a difference in a stressful situation that is going down quickly? Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you have all the answers in your propaganda, but it still comes down to "guns on campus are not a good thing."

It's important to remember that statements on these message boards don't automatically represent official positions of SCCC. Moreover, there's not even a way to easily verify who is posting. SCCC has never been about arming people who don't want to be armed, nor does it advocate vigilante justice. It simply seeks the extension of legal concealed carry to college campuses, with all the regulations and caveats that already exist for carrying anywhere else in public. "Fortunately" this incident seems to have been a specific act of aggression against a specific person, but without even getting into hypotheticals about whether guns on campus would have yielded a different result, let's not forget the greater question, which has always been "what makes a public college campus so fundamentally different than other public places where carry is permitted?" VA laws are at odds with VT policy, creating a situation where only outsiders are legally allowed to carry guns on campus, and either the law or the policy needs to be altered for the sake of consistency.

I agree that concealed handgun licensees should be allowed to carry on campus. What makes campus so different than the grocery store, mall, or anywhere else concealed weapons can be carried. The criminals carry them any place they want. Why can't a licensee? At least licensees have gone through background checks. It's very unlikely that someone who has gone through the trouble of obtaining a license and has been deemed eligible for the license will fly off the handle and shoot somebody. Amy, can you name a case in which a licensee has committed a murder in the manner you describe? Can anyone anyone name a case in which a licensee has saved many lives by taking someone down with their handgun? I certainly can. Amy, you need to realize that guns are here and here to stay. The only way to mitigate the negative effects they have on our society is through education and making criminals think twice before attacking someone. If criminals thought that a potential victim may be carrying, they would certainly think twice before making their move and would most likely decide the risk isn't worth the reward.

@Joe Hokie - I think we can both play the name-calling games, then we can point the finger at you and say you promote a criminal society and call you a "loon". As others have noted, banning guns (and other weapons) means that crime has the upper hand. Can you imagine living in a world where only criminals were armed? Just ask the UK and Australia how that's working out for them (300% crime increase, btw). Then, the situation. "How would that armed person know to shoot the man?" Really? That discredits your arguments pretty badly. Then you use that to make your horribly invalid point. So, keep repeating the anti-gun propaganda and see how that works for you, but there are no points for you in this argument.

How about instead of using a gun and shooting the guy, two or three people at the cafe (out of the 7) manned up and pulled him off of her. People can defend or help others without guns. I can't believe nobody helped. The guy had a knife not a gun, this is ridiculous!

I'm not trying to sound mean, but Joe Hokie doesn't come off like he has much common sense. Joe Hokie says, 'how would that armed person know to shoot the man?" Joe, if you see a knife wielding man stabbing then hacking off the head of a woman and you don't know who to shoot... Wow. I guess you're right. Some people are just too dense for a concealed handgun permit. However, I do agree that if there were no ban against handguns on campus, the result probably would have been the same. I'm not a gun nut nor do I carry mine everywhere. I just have my permit just in case. I'm going to say it again. Guns are here and they aren't going anywhere so get used to it. It's always better to have and not need than it is to need and not have. Just ask anyone who's been a victim of a violent crime that could have been thwarted.

@Anonymous: They were probably just as much in fear of their life as the victim. They knew that if they tried to do anything, the assailant might have turned on them, in which case they would end up another victim, because he had the advantage of weaponry, while they had the disadvantage of following a policy preventing them from having weaponry. Could they have done it anyways? Possibly, but there's a lot less certainty and a lot more danger given that he's armed and they aren't.

Nice story, Caleb, good to see you're doing well. This is a terrible situation though! We've been lucky enough to have been spared serious violence in the past years... Keith W Executive Editor, The George-Anne Georgia Southern U

I think students carrying guns on campus may be a little extreme, but what if people carried mace? The police responded within a minute; I feel like using mace would have stalled until they arrived. This way students have a way to protect themselves that isn't as intense as carrying a gun.

Proof positive that depraved human beings don't need guns to kill; knives work, so do ropes, fists, feet, etc etc etc ... we all get the picture. If anyone thinks banning gun regulations will end violent crime, they are sorely, sorely mistaken. Consider the recent wave of knife crimes in the UK, a relatively 'gun free' state (see, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1126527/Credit-crunch-crimewave-knife-robberies-soar-18.html). Restricting legal access to guns only decreases the options for a victim or bystander to intervene during a violent act. The criminal has only his imagination to limit him.

@anonymous (2:31pm) -- It is extreme, you're right. Using a gun is an extreme response and is only justified in an extreme event. If it were a fist-fight, using a gun is unjustified. However, as BJ just said, only something that works at a safe distance would be effective. Would mace? Maybe. Would a gun? Definitely. Why take chances when we're talking about innocent lives at risk?

You know; it’d be fantastic if this incident wasn’t used as a platform to have a political debate… What a joke. Show some sympathy, and save your political agendas for a more appropriate platform. Anyways; what’s the going around on campus? The story seems odd, because a lot of this doesn’t add up.

Yes, mace works very effectively up to 25 feet. How effectively can a gun be shot with at least 7 innocent people around? I think many more innocent lives could have been lost last night if someone had a gun. You take a chance whenever you fire a gun that innocent lives will be lost.

Ah, you missed the point there HoustonHokie (and appear to have access to info that no one else has -- did he really hack off her head?). If you are supposedly carrying a gun for self defense and pull it out to shoot someone who appears to be committing a crime, then how do you justify self defense? How do you know that once the guy was done stabbing the young woman that he was coming for you next? I'm sure the Commonweath's Attorney would have a field day with your case.

@Houston you can support having a concealed weapons because they can save lives a protect people, that is very likely but any good person when considering this subject matter must weigh the good against the bad. Pro if you're life is being threatened you can use your gun. con, any simple conflict like a fight can cause someone to use your gun unnecessarily. You can say you will be cool headed and not use it but when it come to some people and anger they can not control what they do. What if someone loses the weapon or gets it stolen? thats a gun in the hand who doesn't need one. You can say that people who get these licenses stay cool and wouldnt use it for evil. You cant protest for Human nature and the inherit evil in all of us. guns in a high stress environment usually means negative effects.your likely hood on a daily basis needing to use that gun is out weighted by likely hood of that gun being used unnecessarily.

My prayer to Xin's family. What a tragedy! It's so sad.

@VT Alum: I don't like using an incident like this to promote my ideas any more than you do, but the debate is directly related to these events. people will not listen when these events have not recently occurred because they will not feel any reason to change the status quo - only when these events occurr will people at least be more willing to listen. what you are advocating would result in the debate being either off-limits or ignored, and that makes it pointless, yet it could save lives in future events. As for the story on campus, this is pretty much it. There was some sort of a dispute (probably over a relationship issue, but this is speculation) that ended up with the guy becoming enraged and stabbing/beheading the girl. From what I can see, the story posted here adds up.

What the hell is going on out there in Blacksburg? This is getting embarassing. It was such a nice place when I attended, now I'm worrying if I'll ever feel safe bringing my kids there.

Two bills are up in Virginia....HB 1822: Possession of handguns on school property; concealed handgun permittees Exempts concealed handgun permit holders from the prohibition against carrying handguns onto the property of a public, private, or religious elementary, middle, or high school. HB 1656: Possession of concealed handguns by faculty members at state institutions of higher education. Allows full-time faculty members of state institutions of higher education who possess a valid Virginia concealed handgun permit to carry a concealed handgun on campus.

@Hawaiian: Yes, the presence of a firearm does incur an extra risk. However, pretty much all people who would carry a firearm around fall into either two categories: they have the weapon for defense and are disciplined enough to not wrongly take lives (on accident or on purpose), or they have the weapon with the intent of using it maliciously. The thing that most people don't understand is that the latter kind will have a firearm whether or not they are banned; only the former will abide by the laws/policies, so the malicious people will have the upper hand. The person who mandates that is as deplorable as the person who takes advantage of it.

My prayers go out to the victim and her family and the killers family. Everyone here thinks they are correct on concealed weapon carry. To those who oppose concealed carry...do you really think that when you go off campus that no one is carrying? When you shop, eat out, and basically do anything...people are carrying as is their right. Stop trying to give your rights away people!!!! Guns dont kill people, people kill people. As for the 'wrong people' getting guns.....these same people will get guns whether it is legal or not. Arm yourselves with knowledge.

Surprised there's been no witness interviews published yet, it would give a better understanding on what actually took place. It's also surprising that there were only 7 people at Au Bon Pain at that time to witness this heinous crime.

I've never seen many people in that ABP in Donaldson Brown.

Why are there conflicting reports? CNN is now reporting that the victim was decapitated... I'm not questioning the judgement but it seems to me that maybe that is a bit exaggerated for it would take alot of force, far greater than a kitchen knife, to decapitate someone.

BHS_Junior......that is also being reported on the local channels and paper...the decapitation came from the news conference VT held, from Wendell Flinchum. (Twenty-five-year-old Haiyang Zhu of China is charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond. We learned during a news conference Thursday morning at Virginia Tech that the victim was 22-year-old Xin Yang from Beijing, China. Virginia Tech Police say Yang was decapitated.)

Hey, Ashamed Alumni, please don't bother coming back and spreading your ignorance onto campus. There is nothing wrong with Virginia Tech, just some individuals. VT does not foster a violent environment, but it can't undo whatever unknown damage has been done to these individuals who then harm others. It's a pity you didn't learn that when you were here.

Is there still an Au Bon Pain in Squires?

Yes. There is also one in Squires

Sadly, we have seen two young lives destroyed by this tragedy. Leaving behind two devastated families and a community asking why this senseless act of horror has occured. The debate of concealed weapons should not be first and foremost in the minds of the Blacksburg/VTECH community. The life and tragic death of Xin Yang should be. There is time to discuss the intricacies and legalities of concealed weapons at a later date. For now, we should be focusing on the loss of a young woman who had the dream to travel to America and be a VTECH Hokie. What an honor for Virginia Tech and Blacksburg. Of all the universities and colleges, across the globe, to choose from, Miss Yang chose Blacksburg and the Hokie family. Her dream was ripped away from her along with her life. This is what we, as a community, should be focusing on today. Sturbridge Square Apartments owner, manager and staff would like to express their condolences to the friends and family of Xin Yang. We also express our sympathy to the Chinese community and the VTech family. God Bless.

BHS_Junior and TStaff: she was decapitated...in this article it says she was beheaded..sadly they weren't exaggerating this is so sad..

Seriously, if this is flagged for abuse again, grow up. My question is why didn't any of the witnesses do anything? Is that not a logical question? You could throw something at him, gang up, etc? Again, were all the witnesses women? I could see the point of women not wanting to try and beat a man with a knife, but otherwise...

I completely agree with 4:49 and it was my first thought. I'm not sure how 7 people could simply watch. Obviously I can't factor in any shock factor but you would think at least one person would have acted out. At very least throw something, break something or anything that could at least buy a few seconds. The story is truly heartbreaking.

In case you haven't noticed, not many people are very remorseful around campus. Parties, attitudes, facebook statuses, etc. show that people really just don't care. It's truly sad, but apparently society can write off something when it is "isolated." As for the weapons debate, its been going on for 6-7 years on this campus and will continue. Times like this remind us that self-defense is essential, and sometimes even defense of other innocent people. If you look back, that's how the conversation on weapons got started here. But also, 7 people witnessed this horrible act but no one did anything. No one should blame them, but its likely that none of them had any training that would have helped. We've become 'cozy' Americans and don't think violence can affect us.. well, this is reality folks. Prepare for the worst, be ready for anything, and live a life devoid of fear.

It probably happened so quickly that people could not react...and by the time the witnesses knew what was happening it was probably done. The 911 call was made at 7:06 and an officer arrived a minute later at 7:07 and announced she was deceased.

So here we are again. Another attempt by the pro-gun advocates to push their agenda during a time of tragedy.

wait, I just checked again. its actually the anti-gunners who are already holding up pictures of this victim in the VA legislature. THAT is sad...

I'm certain it happened so quickly that no one could have acted to prevent this tragedy. I pray for the family of the young woman, the witnesses and all Hokies. Who knows why this guy did what he did -- but we may be able to get to the bottom of this -- unlike what we're left to piece together not even two years after April 16. Please don't allow the comments you read of those who think this is a VT problem. It is our burden, but not our cause. Be at peace however you may find it today and hang in there. Godspeed.

Yes...shock....realizing what you are witnessing is real. Few have been exposed to such unexpected violence much less prepared to deal with it. It could have occured in less than a minute. Sadly, this sort of rage against women is universal...ended here...heartbreaking.

Such a tragedy.

It could have happened in less than a second. Saying the witnesses could have done something has no place here as the facts have not been fully released. Since he has been charged with first-degree murder, it strongly suggests a pre-planned killing. The lack of an argument or altercation beforehand also points to it being a surprise. Those witnesses could very well have witnessed the most terrifying sight of their lives, a life snuffed out in mere seconds, yet others here dare to judge them on nothing more than some fictitious interpretation of a news article. Stay focused on the known facts, and try to refrain from unfounded accusations and judgment.

did anyone know this girl or was anyone there when it happened?

He beheaded her?!?! what a sickkk fu^k........what is the world (vt) coming to?

@Anonymous (6:24): Also I think the fact that he used a "large kitchen knife" is telling of premeditation - thats not the kind of weapon people generally carry around.

I understand that no one could have stopped him from stabbing her but comeone decapitating someone takes more than a couple mins. especially with a kitchen knife. NOT one person could have at least try and get him off of her?!?! outrageous

sick freak. What's wrong with people really!!!

sick freak is right...w t f

See a trend here... http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081231/081231_bus_beheading?hub=CP24Home http://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/14/news/mn-33878

Sounds like a very personal issue between the killer and victim. That kind of force being used, suggests romantic passion gone to malice when things didn't turn out the way the aggressor wanted. Cutting off the head, in a non-cult type killing, as this one appears to be, is a vengeful, very ferocious statement.

totally meainingless: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_shooting

As an alum, I don't understand how no one even attempted to stop the POS that was BEHEADING the young woman in a restaurant. That's really pathetic of the witnesses.

Well...you can't say that it was pathetic of the witnesses to not do anything. From your comment, I am assuming that if you were a witness to that crime, you would have intervened. The only thing that I have to say is that you cannot believe that you would act when you were not in the situation. People can say that they would have done something to stop it from an outside position. But, like I said, who truly knows how you would react in that given situation. It sounds like this crime happened very quickly and I am sure that the people present were shell shocked at what had just unfolded infront of their eyes.

I'm sure they were scared but you can be scared and take action, just no nerve. That's the world we live in, no real Red-Blooded Americans anymore, just gussied up teddy bears doing what we're told. WAKE UP PEOPLE.

I can't imagine this happening when I was an undergraduate and graduate student. Blacksburg was one of the most genteel towns I had lived in. I know times have changed, but do we accept the bad with the good? After what VT went through with the shootings, making VT infamous, I hope we as a Hokie Nation can work together as students, teachers, alumni, and families to communicate our commitment to peace and acceptance for differences but not for violence. We need to commit resources to outreach for mental illnesses. We can not wait, we must reach out to our students to recognize signs within themselves and their fellow students. This is not a stigma or a curse, this is an olive branch for help. The young man who did this may have been reachable before the incident. Don't be afraid to reach out, take a chance to get involved with another human being. He needed help, but could not ask for it.

i am quite saddened by this horrific tragedy. i often wonder what someone thinks about when attending VT post April 16, 2007. I assume it must seem like one of the safest places, accepting the "lightning doesn't strike twice" theory. I knew Morva. I had classes with Cho. I still felt safe. Someone from the outside, let alone another country, must have felt safe as well. This incident does seem isolated. It does. So why do I feel a connection to April 16? On some level, it is the simple, often categorized as racist connection of skin color or ethnicity that I see. I do feel that. But I don't want to feel it and I know that it is not the true reasoning behind one man's choice.

Honestly, I am so hurt. I feel bad for Xin and the pain she went through. But I don't know Xin. I know VT. I think about her perception of VT, being new to the school, what did she think about Blacksburg? Did she like it? The winter is the hardest time..she never got to see the summer, the river, the real idea behind it all. I feel bad for Zhu. I'm at a loss really. He wasn't here for the shooting. Why bring so much violence? I hope for a real peace in Blacksburg. We who were there before the shooting know it was different. It was. Can we get this back? I hope every current student, or commenter, realizes that this is beyond a political agenda, beyond your opinion of the student who murdered his peer and rises to seek solution peace and understanding. aj

VA is weird place. Innocent people turned to be killer or victim...The governor should resign...

VA is a weird place? Aparently there aren't senseless, horrible acts of violence commited throughout the world every day. As much as we would love to deny it humans are just as savage and cruel as any other species on the planet, though some were gifted with a conscience and value for others...

VA4Life, is this what you're referring to? http://www.concealedcampus.org/eric_thompson.htm

Do you all have to push your political agenda here? The vast majority of students do not want to read your bickering. Take it to email or some other website. Of all freaking places to have a gun debate, you decide to do it on the student paper's website a year after april 16th and the day after a bad murder for thousands of students, some a little freaked out, to read. Go away.

RIP Xin Yang (Virginia Tech): http://www.facebook.com/group.php?sid=59068d60680f36c0cd87a31d485296bd&gid=62352145929

Leave it to the hippies in Virginia to force the VT student body to be defenseless in order to further their radical leftist agenda. Law abiding students deserve to have the right to defend themselves with a firearm. How many deaths does Virginia Tech need before they do something about it? An innocent girl was murdered while people stood by and did nothing.

anyone heard about the "duck pond massacre"? preceding the town of blacksburg. 200 years old curse? that's eerie.

When Korean exceeds the limit, the big incident is caused. When Chinese exceeds the limit, a cruel event is caused. When Japanese exceeds the limit, it commits suicide HARAKIRI.

JOZ: your generalizations are disgusting. Bigots like you contribute every day to the mental/emotional strain/illness of minorities everywhere. If you want to spread you hate...go somewhere else and leave the rest of us alone to mourn this horrifying tragedy.

MANDATORY COMPREHENSIVE MENTAL EXAMINATION FOR ALL THOSE ENTERING AMERICA, VISITORS INCLUDED! and life sentences for those who didn't try to stop or who made it possible for the criminal to come to this country.

People, calm down. There is a naive assumption that VT is a rural backwater where things don't happen. VT actually sits in the midst of an SMSA of more than 150,000. Further, as a university with global ties, there are thousands of students, faculty + guests who bring their 'issues' with them when the come here. Just as in a major city you are fully unable to control the actions of so many people with so many potential problems. We don't know the background of these two and the nature of their relationship. And why did only 2 of the 7 students in the cafe call 911?! Wouldn't ALL of them have called? So-the crime is hideous + unforgivable. BUT to expect VT to operate as a prison isn't realistic. Think before you spew so much racist nonsense here. I thought you were educated people?

why has the story changed regarding the arrival time of the police. first it was 4minutes after the 911 call, nows it a faster 1 minute....

So, Bart, you are saying that we should expect you to submit to full testing prior to your travels abroad as well.

To Anonymous at 8:11. They changed the time of arrival to annoy you and make you super paranoid. They want you to feel like its a conspiracy. That was the plan all along. To make you irritated so you'll irritate the rest of us.

lol, come on beth. just asking a question.

Anonymous, watch the press conference given by VT (Hincker, Steger, Flinchum). Chief Flinchum says a review of the audio tapes shows that the response time was just _over_ a minute, not the 4 minutes originally estimated. However, 'the media' seems to have difficulty differentiating between 'just over a minute' and 'within a minute,' maybe because the latter rolls off the tongue more easily.

Are you kidding me!? Seven people couldn't stop one man with a kitchen knife? That's the real tragedy!

What were those 7 people supposed to do? Rush at a man weilding a giant knife?? If they had a gun, maybe something could have been done.... but to honestly expect someone to intervene in a murder with no methods of defense is ridiculous. it would be suicidal.

Dudes...come up here to the other VT...yeah, Vermont! There are hippies here (haven) but you can carry your concealed Glock anywhere...live the dream, man

How can you people blame the seven people who witnessed this horrible crime. They will need therapy for years bearing witness to a beheading. I can not imagine the horror, the screams.. the poor officer who walked in and saw him HOLDING HER HEAD in his hands.. These people are not to blame. My heart aches for them and the horror they will re live every single day of their life.. Dont blame these people..... they are suffering enough!

The Chinese grad student is obviously insane. Who beheads? Only nutcase insane people. This crime is too heinous and evil for this guy to be walking the streets. Hopefully he'll be locked up for the rest of his days, as he should be.

No, he should be hanged, or electrocuted, or lethally injected.

If you think you can drop some kung fu move on a guy and kick the knife in his hand into the ceiling, you need to quit watching those movies. That doesn't work in real life. I don't think this guy gave a 5 minute warning before he struck. By the time people grasped what was happening, it was already over. I know we should all be heroes but that just isn't realistic when it comes to heinous crimes. Our minds don't process terrible events that quickly. Even police and EMS people have to be trained to react quickly to stressful events.

You mean reality isn't like a Jason Statham movie?....damn!

@bart simpson, same goes to domestic students, e.g., incident done by the guy from NIU, Dekalb, IL.

As far as self defense, if you are interested in that aspect of this, yet another tragic VT story, I would encourage you to google VCDL for "Virginia Citizens Defense League." I joined last month, and we work to improve, repair, and regain the political damage to our self-defense rights lost over the years here in Virginia. These people who fight against us usually embrace our cause once it is THEIR loved one who has been murdered, but by then, it is too late. Don't wait to be a victim.

more details ~ Zhu's bizarre behavior http://www.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/virginia_tech_homicide_suspects_behavior_recalled_as_bizarre/12717/

I understand it's hard to say you would interviene during the incident, however you could not BEHEAD someone in a second unless you used an ax or samuri sword. The witnesses should all feel ashamed for not doing a damn thing. He probably had to work at it to chop her head off. If you've ever hunted, you understand what it takes to get through a deers spinal cord, etc. It's no easy task, especially without a saw. I think they should charge the witnesses with being complete cowards and send them to Canada.

. . . And they say "diversity is our strength!" Yeah. Keep on believing that garbage. Like our country, the University is not what it once was, regardless of how many new buildings they put up, or how much technology they invent, etc. . . . . Young people, don't let them fill you with this nonsense, please.

agree w/ smithfield alum... this 'diversity' crap is just that - crap. look at the rise in crime since the diversity push began, and you'll be shocked. i'm not, i've been downtown on a fri/sat night and seen the street fights. enough already, we're a rural school and always will be.

smithfield alum: clinging to god and guns i see. bitter? i smell a redneck.

agree w/ dolan...I smell a redneck from smithfield alum, too. Isolationism will only make the country weak and corrupted.

If one more asian commits a homicide, I would suggest a ban.

I haven't read any of the comments below, but my assumption would be that they were girlfriend/boyfriend before he started here in Fall 2008, then perhaps she cheated on him at some point; so he got extremely bitter, and this is the unfortunate result.

Very sad, very sick, very unfortunate. My prayers are with the victim's family and for the suspect if he is suffering from mental illness and I hope he gets proper treatments... I am very sorry Virginia Tech has to go through this again.

Agree. "Multiculturalism" and "diversity" are ruining this country, just as Western Europe is being ruined by the Jew-hating mass-murdering Mohammedans.

I am saddened by the discriminations are gaining ground again. Can't we commit to peace and care about those who are different from us?

Jew-hating? why would anyone hate bernie madoff and his buddies, i.e. all the investment banker CEO's that destroyed our economy?!

what happened to all our posts between noon and 1:07 PM today? Censoring us, CT?

@alum (10:36): A deer is not a human. Yes, it is hard to get through a deer's spine without a serrated knife of some sort (and even then it takes time), but humans have more soft cartilage between vertebrae, which doesn't put up nearly as much resistance to a knife as bone does. If he got the knife between two vertebrae it probably would not have taken long to go through. Also, the article doesn't specify that the knife was not serrated - if it was, it would have made it even easier and quicker. So my guess is that the bystanders probably wouldn't have had much time to pull him off - my guess is the only intervention that would have worked fast enough is a gun. That said, this is essentially all conjecture, but it at least suggests that it is plausible the bystanders didn't have sufficient time to react.

Race has nothing to do with this incident. This was not a hate crime nor obviously was it racially motivated. People of all races commit murder. The past two murders on this campus coincidentally have been commited by the same race. In fact, if you look at crime statistics, whites, blacks and hispanics commit murder and rape far more and also per capita than asians. Let's be logical here.

I guess "sc" is saying we just need to give the asians time to catch up, to be fair. I bet if you look at the VPI campus murder statistice since 1872, the asians are not in last place, but FIRST place! Let's be logical here, Dr. Spock.

I think space aliens have to invade earth, before some of the nitwits on this page understand we're ONE race.

I was an international student at tech last semester. Firstly I do not think it is right that some people put the blame on all international students because an event like this is done by very few people and it is just a coincidence that the two people happened to be Asian. I also do not think that having weapons on campus is a solution. If someone wants to commit a crime he will do it either way. I think if concealed weapons are allowed there is more chance that someone gets mad at somebody and shoots him down before no one knows what is happening (second degree murder)

Absolutely unbelievable that people are wasting energy and time to make ignorant, racist and biased comments at a time when someone has been brutally murdered, and not only does it seem that there was no way to prevent this unspeakable act but there are also family and friends suffering as a result of this horrible loss. People as well as those around them could really benefit from stepping outside of their selfish, cynical, hateful worlds.

so smithfield alum, what is your point? murders happen everywhere. if you take all the asians out of bburg, you think murders won't happen anymore? Stanford, Berkeley, MIT and Harvard have way more Asians than VT, no murder issues there.

OK SCCC, HoustonHokie, BJ, and the other "we need our guns for protection" gang who are trying to use this tragedgy to their advantage -- move the incident one block up College Avenue to Gillies. That's downtown Blacksburg, where there are no restrictions on concealed carry. Same man with knife, same young woman, sitting quietly at a table near the back. Same seven customers and staff, but I'll spot you TWO of those armed with guns of your choice. Man pulls out knife and slashes woman's throat, immediately causing a gush of blood. Do your CC types pull out a gun and order him to stop, does one of them shoot the assailant, or do they merely brandish their weapon in self defense to ward off any threats? If your answer is "this isn't a situation where having a gun would have changed things" then please take your fearmongering to another venue and let the campus get on with healing from this sad event.

Has anyone thought what went through his mind before he did this (unless he is insane) "What are these causasians going to think about my precious asian people and culture if I do this here at VT, so soon after the Korean Cho did here what he did?" Apparently he didn't care what we thought. He had less respect for his people than we do. So be it.

Any alumni reading this, please help us get stricter regulations on non-us citizens studying here. Both 4/16 and this were the result of mentally ill non-citizens. I'm tired of this crap.

@Joe: The first two options, in that order, and only going to the second if he refuses to stop.

@mfa: You say that if someone wants to commit a crime, he will do it either way (I assume you mean whether weapons are allowed or not), but yet you choose to leave the victim defenseless. Then you claim that if weapons are allowed on campus, there will be more "heat of passion" murders, yet you have no proof to back this up - it is merely a belief, not a fact (facts show otherwise, actually). Thus, you are constructing an opinion on an issue that is not only dangerous to victims of attacks, but is unfounded in anything factual. You believe that more people will be attacked, which is not true, so you think that people who are attacked should be left at the mercy of the attacker. Congratulations.

sc---we're not talking about Blacksburg here. THEY allow guns there! We're talking about the stupid "gun-free zone" called the VT CAMPUS! What is wrong with your brain? Are you really a VT student or alum, or someone just crashing our VT Nation website? I just can't believe you passed the entrance exam for this school. If you don't have a dog in this fight, go elsewhere, and let us hash this out among ourselves, please.

i read the article today in the paper and find it unnecessary for such gruesome details in the opening paragraph. i understand the need for accurate news and hooks, but out of respect for the family of the victim and the victim herself, phrases such as "holding her severed head" need to be refrained from use.

Hey "alum" @ 10:36 a.m. (Jan 23). Uhhhh ... you're right, it didn't take a second to behead her. I bet, however, that it took LESS than a second for her to be DEAD, and anyone trying to help would also likely have DIED and she wouldn't be any less DEAD. To wit, please see today's L.A. Times and the article entitled "3 dead, 10 wounded in Belgium day care stabbings." Horrible stuff. Two toddlers and an adult. I'm guessing one of the teachers saw the carnage occurring and stepped in to stop it ... and now she's DEAD ... and the two kids are STILL DEAD! At close range, knives are far more deadly than most guns. Dummy!

Terrible if true: She just recently met him this past week and he was perhaps suicidal due to recent "Big stock losses" http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090123/ap_on_re_us/virginia_tech_slaying_24

@wtf--one more obamma news its gonna b history

I still don't understand why the witnesses didn't at least try?...All they had to do was cause a brief disruption and distract the guy so she could get away? I am not saying they should have taken the guy on or anything...but throw a chair or something. All she needed was one second for him to let go and look the other way...she didn't even have a chance. Very sad...I hope as we learn more that they didn't just turn around and run leaving her there.

alum @ 10:36 sorry, you are full of it. cutting through "spinal cord" would take a millisecond. cutting through spinal column is difficult. and do not compare deer to humans. I bet by the time the witnesses gained their composure after the shock of suddenly seeing this, the guy had already done the killing. It is one thing to witness an attempt at life (like stubbing or shooting) and interfere - you just need to be brave. it is different when you see someone behead a person - you get shocked from the sheer chilling craziness of this.

3:32p.m.Continued..So you may have gotten cut or injured trying to save her...small price to pay in my opinion. And I'm just a girl :) Go the the hospital and get stitched.

Maybe the racist Rev. Lowery actually actually had some point in his rant at the end of the bendiction for Obama to quote:"Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day: Black will not be asked to get in back; When Brown can stick around; When Yellow will be mellow; When the Red Man can get ahead, man; And when White will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen. Say Amen' ... " Get it...Yellow man be mellow...

The school should implement more a more exacting screening process for international students. It is very easy to mask or simply not detect psychotic tendencies/background with the cultural and language barriers that exists. It also seems that people from countries who suppress their citizens have difficulty coping with the new, free lifestyle that the US offers.

So I'm just wondering, has VT improved any security or response to people's concerns since the mass shooting last year? I mean the school was warned about this guy as well as Cho and the school did nothing until it was too late. Come on VT, it's time to get more serious about stuff like this.

Unfortunately, as a holder of a concealed carry permit and with more than adequate training in hand-gun self-defense and several lethal varieties of hand-to-hand combat, I feel pretty confident that had I been the eighth person in the room that day, the victim would still be dead. Premeditated murder is nearly impossible to stop, especially when the suspect is armed with a knife. Statistically, knife attacks are far more deadly and much more prevalent than firearm attacks. It is so sad that we live in a world with people that are simply ticking time bombs. No one knows what lights their fuses, and no one knows when they will go off. It breaks my heart that another victim, another family and the VT community has to endure this kind of violence yet again.

wow, Freddy Kruger's got NOTHING on Virginia Tech! WHAT IS UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP WITH THIS CAMPUS?????????

wow, Freddy Kruger's got NOTHING on Virginia Tech! WHAT IS UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP WITH THIS CAMPUS?????????

WOW! I posted a blog last night about the need to reinforce our support for MENTAL ILLNESS. All I have read is about very ugly subjects. MOVE ON! FORGIVE, HE WAS SICK. We as a society, need to support more funding and acceptance for mental illness and search for more cures or medications. This is a fact of life, no matter your race, hair length, gun loving behavior, or anything else you are. Mental Illness happens and you can not prevent it, like cancer, but you may be able to recognize it or cure it if we as a society understand it more and accept it more. I pray VT heals again, I am sure it will.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention my Purple Heart, Presidential Medal of Honor, Silver Stars, and American Idol trophy. NOT! Cmon, anyone can sign on to the CT page and say they are military, and your argument is pointless. People say pro-gunners are using this tragedy, well anti-gunners are using it more. Crap like your post makes gun rights supporters look smarter to me, because they aren't saying they know what it was like to be there like you are.

What's the probability that the same university would be hit with truly bizarre homicides in the space of a mere two years? If I were the prez of Virginia Tech, I'd discretely get an exorcist to perform an exorcism of the university. It certainly won't hurt.

@sonata-- I think you are referring to the Draper's Meadow Massacre.

Ok Highschoolsenior? I have to say I am more than irritated by the comment you made about Virginia Tech's safety. The students of tech are offered more than one way to be informed about any emergency and we were ALL notified within the hour that it happened. After April 16th our school put millions into multiple systems to alert the students and faculty of any issues. Don't get on here and tell VT to get serious about these issues when you obviously don't come here. You aren't part of the student body so NO you won't be notified of events such as these. Don't criticize. Also, the police were on sight within a minute and that is why he was caught. We are on one of the safest campus's in the United States because the April's events. Also, while they knew something might be wrong with Cho, they were not made aware of this guy and that has been in all of the statements made by the President of the University. I was deeply saddened to hear about this incident and it hit all of us in a different way. God Bless everyone and GO HOKIES! P.s.

I suspect what happened between the two was simply Mr. Zhu, suffering obvious social ineptitude,had asked if Ms. Yang would be his girlfriend. Not surprisingly the latter turned him down. A normal person would have crimsoned in embarrassment, stammered a few unintelligible words then shuffled off with tail between legs. Unfortunately, this man was not normal and reacted in horrible inappropriateness. There is no safeguard against unexpected behaviors as such. It is very sad indeed.

Thank you Anom for stating some common sense to people who have never taken a step in Blacksburg. As a graduate of VT and B'Burg High, no one could have predicted this would have happen at VTECH. Blacksburg is a place where you could and would not worry about not locking your home. Having one murder in Blacksburg in a 10 year span would be shocking to the community and make the average citizen be concerned. But having the Cho incindent ane this makes BBURG seem like a major city and if you haven't been there before you make foolish comments like many have on this site and many more. Most folks would hope there own neighborhood was as safe as B'BUrg!!!

I offer a solution to your safety issues I sell Non-lethal weapons such as TASER DEVICES, Stun Guns, Pepper Spray/Foam and Collapible Batons, any one of these may have prevented this horrible murder on your campus. You are one of the Top Schools in the country yet all I hear is talk of Guns do you people realize that you can be safe and not kill someone in the process. Besides the worst that can happen (in most cases) with most of my products is we will get to see more delightful videos on youtube showing drunken men using stun guns on themselves. You need not live in fear, check us out what do you have to lose maybe we can save some lives together. http://highvoltageselfdefense.com In all the comments only one about Mace, why not more? These products do work very well and I know some argue that TASER DEVICES(not stun guns)can kill, due to some misuse by some law enforcement agencies they have been given a bad rap(Dont Taze Me Bro), given the choice I would rather take my chances with the TASER Device than some Glock 40 Caliber pistol. Its not rocket science.

The amount of judgment and hate on this page is unbelievable. Everyone who says the witnesses 'could have done something'.. by all means, tell yourselves grand tales of how YOU would have stopped it and saved the girl / day / school / year. I'm SURE you could have stopped a knife cut that takes a mere second to end someone's life. I'm SURE you pay attention to your surroundings at ALL times so you know what everyone is doing and with whom, when, and even why! Get real, it's very possible it was so quick and silent that by the time someone noticed something was wrong she was long gone and he just kept going. May everyone who judged the witnesses be misjudged for their own actions with no cause. I truly wish that upon all of you for being so malicious and hateful based only on the fact that there were witnesses.

They should be running criminal background checks and checking references on foreign students.

Wow...a lot of judgemental hatred of innocent bystanders. Say you were there and you draw your concealed gun but its too late. Now you no longer are his "sitting duck", but you are one for a lawsuit if her family and the jury are like these people. Eh, let the university take the rap!

let's accept the fact that humanity is evil, contrary to the world view that man is basically good. no matter the systems, mechanics, measures, whatever that are put in place to prevent these unfortunate incidents, they'd occur. I'm not in any way repudiating controls, or preventive measures but I'm simply saying life is short, total eradication is impossible.

in buddhist scripture, buddha had predicted that near the end of the civilization loop people will see others as "meat", breeding will start before teens, etc. now it's started.

May Jesus comfort VT, forgive our transgressions, and save our souls. Jesus You are the way, the truth, and the life. Only through You by faith we can be righteous.

Far too tragic an event. As for concealed carry, I fully support it when it includes proper training that includes more than just typical firearm safety, but also when, and when not to pull a weapon out. I feel that gun free zones are some of the most dangerous places in our Country right now, and we need to address this in some clear, and decisive way. The safest person in a gun free zone is the person with a gun. With that said, having no prior indication that this would happen(no argument, or apparent tension) I don't know that it would have been helpful here as a means of defense, but the idea that someone could be carrying may have been a deterrant. May God comfort the family of this victim, and may they find peace in his mercy. If I didn't feel Tech was a safe place my daughter would not be there today. To all you young folks attending, be safe, be careful, and be aware. Almost anything can happen almost anywhere, at any time. I've done my best to teach this lesson to my Hokie daughter, and it goes out to the rest of you too.

HokieDad, great points about self-defense. But I'll disagree with you slightly, and with others much more, about the safety of VT. We're not on an island here.. the real world is around and amongst us, the forces of evil do not care about the bounds of campus. No matter how much we learn about past killers and try to use it to predict future ones, we will NEVER stop all attacks. You must be prepared. And if you want to carry a firearm to do so, well get the training and the permit and do so responsibly. It's your right.

I am heartsick for the victims (and their families) of the horrific events at VT in the past year-and-half. Weigh the terrible loss against "civil rights" would it not be prudent to have candidates for admission be required to have a psychiatric screening? These horrors are obviously being committed by flawed individuals.

It must be puzzling to many why 2 extremely barbarous acts could occur, with all due respect, in a relatively obscure and folksy locale such as VT. Shouldnt such displays of violence occur more in metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles or New York? Actually no, at least with respect to the foreign element of the student population. The gist of the problem is that many visiting students have a difficult time adjusting to a new country. In larger centers there are ethnic settings (eg. Chinatown), organizations and programs that could help ease their sense of destitute. However, in a more rural setting such as VT there are probably much fewer resources. Compounding this problem is the rural attitudes these students encounter. Metropolitan residents, being more used to seeing various cultures in their midst, have a more tolerant attitude. However, Virginians being less exposed to other cultures may still have reserved and sometimes hostile attitudes towards foreign nationals. As a result, susceptible foreign students are more likely to develop inappropriate ideation. Extremely disturbed ideations could manifest themselves in actions such as carried out by Cho and Zhu. I dont pretend to know the answer to this difficult situation. But at least with understanding we could begin to address the problem. My God take Ms. Yang in His arms and have mercy on Zhu.

What an ignorant comment by JoeAtLarge. The two people you mentioned were mentally disturbed, not well-balanced individuals who were pushed to murderous acts because they didn't fit into rural Virginia life. Judging from the comments posted, I don't believe Joe has ever been to Blacksburg.

Agree with Matt. Thousands of Foreign Nationals from all over the World attend Tech, and never have issues anywhere similar to these that I'm aware of. While Joe's points mike make sense on the surface, and at first glance,they are at best superficial, and even that's a stretch. Far too many students from other cultures have been through the school for anyone to give such a premise any more than a passing consideration. We have two seperate instances that do not even closely resemble each other outside of thefact that the people involved are from China. This is not a pattern. These people were both mentally unbalanced, and it was no fault of the school short of a system to screen for such things(something that appears worth considering), nor is it the fault of the town of Blacksburg that they committed these terrible acts. To think so is to miss the mark and to stereotype two entire communities without any foundation.

There is so much fail in some of these comments. And because of that, so much win too.

I pray God gives her family (and his) the strength to deal with this tradgedy. Other than mental illness there are no other reasons for this and 4/16. Tradgedy can befall all us and we just don't know why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn4wtIoSeG8

Just to set the record straight, Cho was not a foreign national. He was a U.S. citizen, of Korean parents, from Northern Virginia. And anyone who thinks the VA Tech community is not multi-cultural, has never been there. Blacksburg is a wonderful, tolerant and culturally rich small town. Hopefully, the sense of community there will help the town and campus to deal with this tragic event.

My mistake. hokiemom, you are correct. ...but my point, and hope is the same as yours.

I have two daughters at Virginia Tech and I will tell them to stay away from Asian males!! I'm sorry, but this is too much. I think VT should require background checks on anyone living in campus housing. The safety of our children should be the most important thing! Forget about this diversity crap!

Anyone advocating background checks on everyone or a specific set of people is aligning with the Devil. Next you'll be calling for RFID's and National ID cards/Barcodes on every person, so you can 'check out' everybody and never take a risk. Humans are imperfect, you must accept that as an imperfect human yourself, and get past this 'background check' crap. You keep pushing for it, you'll get it, then be enslaved before you know it. Read some history if this idea seems foreign to you.

I think we are obviously "taking a risk" now. You check out the recent history at VT.

I'm coming after your daughters, Ms Coulter!

LOL @ Concerned Mom... Asian males would probably be the last ones with a criminal record, you ignorant hag.

Those advocating background check -- do you really believe that this guy's background check would have revealed this possibility? Same with Cho, when he came to VT from high school, he did not have any criminal record. So what background check would have revealed that he would one day become mass murderer?

I am ashamed that another mother would actually say she is encouraging her daughters to stay away from ASIAN males.. does that mean in classes that have professors that are ASIAN? What about students sitting near them in class rooms that are ASIAN?? What about working with ASIANS? That is a sad commentary of why we have racism in the country. Every day I hear of a murder and sadfully so-- and they are rarely ASIANS but of my own decent.. WHITE. My son is an engineering major and has a dear friend who is half chinese..do I tell him RUN AWAY FROM HER because she is Asian? Get a grip MOM.. dont make your precious daughters ashamed of you !!!!!

Concerned Mom, I'm dating your daughter.

I'm just gonna ignore the troll that's most likely "Concerned Mom" and seek out his girlfriend instead. If it really is a concerned mom.... that's really sad, and I'd like to meet your daughters.

Va Tech will soon hit the national headlines again when it's revealed that this was suffering from schizophrenia. Despite the initial report that he seemed normal, Zhou (1) stored firewood and accused his landlord of stealing his shoes; and (2) carrying around a kitchen knife and other sharp objects in his knapsack. This is a clear sign of emerging paranoid schizophrenia. Those around him must have noticed that something is wrong with this guy. That his roommates have all disappeared and clammed up spekas volumes: they know what drove him to kill, and they're all trying to avoid publicity so that they're not held responsible. Any academic community must be experienced in deailng with schizo students. The rate is about 3 for every 100. If it's found that Va Tech ignored his conditions, there will be another outcry and the school will be justly blamed for not fulfilling its basic duty of ensuring campus safety.

Sadly, another case of decapitation took place in Canada, in a Greyhound bus. Google Vince Weiguang Li. He attacked a Greyhound passenger with a large, hunting knife, decapitating and eating his body parts. It was revealed later that he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Sadly, he too was a Chinese immigrant, though he was not a student. What the Canadian authorities did is to hush up his Muslim ethnic origins (Hui) for political correctness. He was a Muslim whose practices include decapitation for capital crimes.

Holy Cow. Is anyone connecting the dots here. Police and University were contacted about this guys bizarre behavior. University assigns this guy as mentor to innocent young new student???

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: I am the property manager at Sturbridge Square Apartments where Mr. Zhu resided. #1. We spoke to the police about Mr. Zhu, AND HIS ROOMMATES, refusal to turn on the heat in there residence, after busted pipes occured on numerous occassions. We opted to contact the police to find out if we had any recourse, such as destruction to property, to force ALL the residents living in the townhome to maintain the heat at 68 degrees. It was not because Mr. Zhu was exhibiting any behavior that would lead us to believe he was a danger to himself or others. #2. International Affairs was contacted regarding this same issue. #3. Yes, Mr. Zhu accused staff of stealing a pair of his shoes. Odd, but not anything that would make one question a person's sanity. Mr. Zhu, AND HIS ROOMMATES, were belligerent regarding the heat/busted pipes issue. Why they did not want the heat on, I do not know. I do NOT want anyone to have the impression that Sturbridge Square reported Mr. Zhu to any government/university offices as being unstable or a threat to the community and that officials turned a deaf ear. This could not be further from the truth. The issues Sturbridge Square faced with Mr. Zhu, AND HIS ROOMMATES, was nothing more than a resident not following their leasing agreement. Blacksburg has the finest police department and university officials, who place the safety of this community, and its students, as its highest priority.

Must say that some of these comments are quite nasty & dangerous...

Accusing a landlord of stealing your shoes does not signal possible mental instability? Did you ever have another tenant accuse you of stealing his clothese or shoes? I thougth he also accused management of stealing his shirt, too? Obviously, another giveaway is the sharp objects (presumably knives) he was carrying around in his knapsack. Now, why on earth would he do that? Trust me, I've been around paranoid schizophrenics. The giveaway is when they start feeling the others are out to get him. Usually this starts with the claim that someone has their phone bugged, stealing intimate objects like shoes, underwear and socks. These guys try to compensate for this by arming themselves and acting obsessively and compulsively. Look, we don't know the whole story yet. But I'm 99% certain this is the case of nascent paranoid schizophrenia. There were signs of this guy's mental trouble, probably covered up and ignored for cultural reasons and differences.

a lot of you seem to be blaming everyone EXCEPT the suspect for the girl's murder. the witnesses' are blamed for not being heroes and trying to save her, the school is ultimately blamed for not investigating his "erratic behavior" prior to the incident, the leasing company is even getting blamed for not reporting his weird behavior. i guess everyone needs someone to blame. you can't protect every single person at all times. this could have happened anywhere.

@ Concerned Mom you represent everything that is wrong with this country. your ignorance is bone crushing and you have truly have lost all hope to this community by spreading that filth to your children.

you might find info below quite informative (i do): taken from http://seagullreference.blogspot.com/ Although there's no easy way to prevent a sick murder from put crazy thoughts into action, some alleged that the role the Association of Chinese Students and Scholars (ACSS) at Virginia Tech played was facilitated by the killer. People on online forums accused them to have arranged the killer to pick up the girl from the airport. The girl was also arranged to live in the killer's apartment for four days before she was assigned a school housing unit at GLC, where she was killed. After the incident, the ACSS promptly sent out a message barring anyone from disclosing any information. The ACSS also deleted all relevant discussions at a maillist and an online forum exclusive to Chinese students and scholars at VT. The killer has been known as an enthusiastic member of the ACSS, an official organization sponsored by the communism government. Some see the ACSS, an organization supposed to benefit all Chinese students, was utilized by a small group of greedy former communists (or communists wannabes) with personal interest. Simply put, any such communism outputs should have been banned from ground of any college campus. few days after the incident, the VTACSS celebrated its new year with music and dancing *regardlessly*. you might know that the hongkong and taiwan students have their own clubs unattached to the ACSS.

@sonata: I guess it's time to break out the tinfoil hat.

I agree with Sonata. This sounds like some type of hit. The dude was undoubtabley crazy, but chances are the commies ran this out. What the heck is VT doing supporting a communist club? Do you really have to cater to everyone's needs, especially the commies?

I've checked out the seagull site. It has some unfounded claims about the accused: that he came from an obscure Chinese university and that he may have had academic problems. Also, the site alleges that Zhu was assigned to chaperone Yang, and Yang had to stay in Zhu's apartment before her dorm opened. These are unfounded charges but they may turn out to be true. The reason why these stories float around is because the university, as well as this supposed Mainland Chinese Student Association, has clammed up. Now, it seems even the super at Zhu's residence is trying to spin the story to ward off any liability for both her company and the university. One thing is clear here: from what's been described so far, Zhu stood out because of his odd behaviors prior to the crime. If you dig further, I'm sure you'll find that his oddities were more than just everyday oddities you can shrug off. If it turns out that he's suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, and if it turns out that the Mainland Chinese Organization and the University tried to cover this up, then well ... then both would need to be held accountable. VTech should realize that they have a huge image problem. It needs to be as open as possible when these things happen.

Did the victim live at the perp's apartment at any time? Maybe he just got infatuated with her.

First of all my heart goes out to the family of Ms. Yang. Parents and students please dont waste time arguing about the killers mental state, we all know he had problems. The question is what will you do the next time somethig like this happens again, maybe to you or a friend? People think that schools are safe havens, when I went we had crazy kids, mean kids and bullies nothing has changed. Parents you can do something besides sitting and waiting for a phone call you can get them pepper spray at the very least. Great self defense choices are available like TASER Devices, Stun Guns, and Steel Batons. Please contact me through my web site if you have quetions and I will try to help. Stay Strong and Safe. http://highvoltageselfdefense.com

Well, I wouldn't draw too much from "clamming up" from either individuals or organizations under investigation. A 5th Amendment right which applies even to communists if they are living here. When it comes to trial, they can be subpoenaed and then required to spill all they know. I'm glad to see that a Beijing blogger (anonymously) getting around restrictions. But as with all blogs, take it with a grain of salt. Indeed, IF they assigned an engaged woman to stay with an unknown male for 4 days it was extremely bad judgement...

For those of you who have read the "blogger story" or heard about the rumors, please do not jump into any conclusions. There is solid evidence that shows the blog is fake. The website is taking advantage of the tragedy in order to attract more visits, which is outrageous. Blaming the "communists" or Chinese for "clamming up" is equally shallow. Please show a little respect to others. Unwanted incidents could happen anywhere to anyone at any time. I do not find stereotyping any group based on what an individual from the group a right thing or of any help.

That's a lot of work for a fake blog. He has an archive going back to 2005. True, he has a personal bias against the communist government...but that's why its a blog.

Every VT student should be screened for psychological problem at least once per year.

All responsible VTers should write to college newspaper to express their concern over ACSS's un-citizenship behavior on this matter. After the incident, the ACSS promptly sent out a message barring anyone from disclosing any information. The ACSS also deleted all relevant discussions at a maillist and an online forum exclusive to Chinese students and scholars at VT. few days after the incident, on 1/25, the VTACSS celebrated its new year with music and dancing *regardlessly*, without tribute to the life of Ms. Yang. There are some personal attacks on the victim on a well-known chinese BBS website www.mitbbs.com and many think ACCS should come to defend the victim, yet the ACCS just keeps silent even though ACCS knows what's going on there.

Virginia Tech needs to start evaluating foreign students more closely before offering them admission, especially Asian applicants. These people have different cultures than us and have different beliefs. It is no coinsidence that CHO was also of Asian decent. Second to whites, Asians are the most dominant ethnicity at VT. PLEASE admissions board, take action and stop letting these people into our schoo. They do not belong nor do we want them here. They are turning VT into some type of circus that is notorious for asians causing tragic deaths. I have no remorse for this kids family or him. I hope someone stuffs rocks down his throat until he chokes to death and maybe then he will have learned his lesson for taking this young womens life and promising future.

I am shocked by the discriminatory remarks found on this board. @Average_VT_Student clearly wishes we move back to the dark ages where we discriminate by race or ethnicity. What you suggest is nothing short of illegal. Just because you are a white American does not mean you are somehow less likely to commit a murder. IF you wish to propose that VT screen students, then it must apply to ALL students whether they be white, black, asian or otherwise. Clearly you are ignorant of how your country was formed - by immigrants! Please go back and review your history and take your immature discriminatory comments to another forum.

Cho came to US since he was 7 or so. And this is just another isolated incident. Calling or implying Asian people to be "different" is simply ridiculous.

There are some people here making accusations about the Chinese gov't and ACSS, then there are others calling it 'ridiculous' and trying to arbitrarily dismiss such claims. If academics should know anything, its that ALL possibilities (theories) should be evaluated fairly and objectively. Based on the deliberate nature of this crime, we should consider that some seriously sinister things could be behind it.

I am tired of everyone hearing where I went to school and thinking we condone this type of behavior. These people and there actions are ruining the reputation of our school. Sad as it may be, tech needs to look at its admissions for everyone even foreign students. Background checks should be part of the admissions process. Tech doesnt have the resources to support people that need a lot of support. Foreign students need to be placed where they can get support from their fellow countrymen.

No, you are not an "Average VT Student"...an insult to everyone on campus. Your neo-nazi~skinhead~violent fantasies belong with that ilk...

The best thing to do is not to speculate at this stage. Everyone is very sensitive right now. This is understandable givne the horrific nature of the crime. But we really don't know what happened. There are too many holes in the story and things just don't add up. Given the absence of facts and solid leads, it would irresponsible to engage in rampant speculation. We will eventually know what really happened, what the motive was, and probably why this happened. There is little to suggest here that the university or the Blacksburg community in any way facilitated this senseless tragedy. What is abundantly clear is that the university and the community acted responsibly. What's alarming and disappointing is the reactions of a small student segment that has chosen to generalize based on this incident. Foreign students arguably go through a more stringent vetting process to be admitted to the university. This is especially true for graduate students on university fellowship. There is, however, room for debate regarding the type of support that may be available to new students, logistics regarding such procedures. However, since we do not know what has happened, it would not be appropriate to make accusations.

So, you trust your news sources? Have you seen how many lies there were about 4/16? I think everyone needs to look for as many explanations for what happened as possible, and go from there. "Middle Ground" kind of got at that.

Hopefully we find out what really happened and what the murderer's mental history is. And if he was really assigned to be her mentor with out any kind of background check, and in light of the fact that the apartment complex called to report/complain about his behavior.

We do not know about Zhu's mental history. But then, schizophrenia strikes its victims in their early twenties. It may or may not be likely that Zhu showed symptoms. A background check like the sort the U.S. requires is not really feasible when you're a foreigner. There isn't likely to be any credit check; any reference check is in the form of letters of recommendation from former professors. When you're in your twenties, you're just not gonna have much of a credit or work history. This is the same for both U.S. and foreign students. There is very little any university can do in these circumstances. With regard to the problem Zhu had with his landlord, it has been clarified that the landlord had problems not only with Zhu but his roommates as well. Plus, the odd behavior displayed by Zhu could not have raised any concern that he could be violent. Accusing someone of stealing your shoes is bizarre but does not establish his capacity for violence. If we had to do background checks and monitor every odd behaviours displayed by Va Tech students, the campus population would be reduced by 50%. Again, this is assuming that Zhu has not displayed any other untoward behavior and that the University was not made aware of his potential for violence.

I heard, from a Chinese news source, that the girl had sex with Zhu and asked him for a large sum of money. When he refused she threatened to report him to the police on accusations of rape. And I guess the implication is that this was the spark that set off his premeditated murder. I thought *something* must have happened to make him furious, because you don't have that kind of deep hatred for someone you just met 2 weeks ago. I do not know whether to believe this news source or not, nor do I know how credible it is. Has anyone else heard similiarly?

I heard that Zhu was from a planet 200 light years from here called Zorg. She was from a neighboring planet and they were sworn enemies...

to the anonymous person who posted a rude reply to my comment. Yea you're right I'm not a part of the student body but have you ever heard the word "prospective". and if you read my comment correctly, I was not asking about the alert system, every college in America has tightened up on that duh. And yes there were reports on this guy. his landlord and the person who he went to and accused them of stealing his shoes. so yes people did know there was a problem.

There are a lot of people who act crazy- do you suggest we lock them all up? Maybe the word you should be looking for is "perspective" - tragic things like this can seldom be averted.

How come nobody's asking why a relatively unknown, older, single male was assigned to be the mentor of a newly arrived, potentially vulnerable, young lady?? Even if this tragedy had not occurred, that sounds very irresponsible.

Concerned Parent, There are several reasons why a person would be assigned to an international student. Perhaps he was from the same area as China as she or some other common ground that would seemingly make him an ambassador to Virginia Tech. There is no reason why two adults male and female should not be paired together in this type of relationship. Just because she was a young lady, it doesn't make her vulnerable. The blame game is a silly game to play in this situation.

7 people witnessed the attack and no one did a thing? Hello, People... if you sit on your ass waiting for someone to rescue you, better have a good life insurance policy.

to highschoolsenior: please get off your self righteous soapbox and go do some sort of teenager thing. The fact that "this guy" had a bad relationship with his landlord and roommates does not automatically mean he was placed on the threat list of the local police. Unlike highschool, no one cares if you come to school in last year's fashion or if you have a problem with shoes. It's ridiculous that you think such a random and personal quirk should have been a red flag.

Concerning the debate over the difficulty of decapitation, it appears from all the comments I've read that people are assuming Yang Xin did not put up any type of defensive struggle. Even if the other witnesses didn't notice it, she must have some idea that Zhu was very angry or losing all control, or at least inexplicably pulling out a large knife. I can't imagine that a healthy young person would not fight for their life. And people do not die in a few seconds even with a major arterial wound, nor do ordinary kitchen knives quickly and easily slice through a human neck. This is not a bad horror movie. So far, the known facts do not begin to explain this terrible crime. And why have no eyewitnesses been interviewed by the media? I certainly can't find any, and can't think of another homicide where witnesses were silent, or perhaps silenced?