I was looking at the CNN.com website today and ran across this statement which was released today by the family of the gunman, Seung-Hui Cho, who viciously murdered 32 people this week at Virginia Tech. The statement was read aloud today by the gunman's own sister. I had been wondering all week about what a tragedy this is for Mr. Cho's family, as well. I had read a few days ago in the newspaper that they were unreachable. I then read today in the paper that they have been put into protective custody by the Chinese ambassador or government or something like that. They are being moved around every single day so as to remain in hiding out of a genuine fear for their own safety. I can only begin to imagine the horror it must be to live with the knowledge, guilt and sorrow of learning your very own flesh-and-blood [child] is guilty of committing such an atrocity. I thought this statement was well-worded and I truly do feel sympathy for Seung-Hui Cho's family, as well, during this time of senseless loss for everyone involved. I do not know the type of relationship he had with his family or if there was any way they could have done something long ago to have prevented Monday's massacre. Nevertheless, I decided to post this letter for all of you to read, if you haven't already done so by now.
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The statement by Sun-Kyung Cho, sister of Seung-Hui Cho, on behalf of herself and her family:
On behalf of our family, we are so deeply sorry for the devastation my brother has caused. No words can express our sadness that 32 innocent people lost their lives this week in such a terrible, senseless tragedy. We are heartbroken.
We grieve alongside the families, the Virginia Tech community, our State of Virginia, and the rest of the nation. And, the world.
Every day since April 16, my father, mother and I pray for students Ross Abdallah Alameddine, Brian Roy Bluhm, Ryan Christopher Clark, Austin Michelle Cloyd, Matthew Gregory Gwaltney, Caitlin Millar Hammaren, Jeremy Michael Herbstritt, Rachael Elizabeth Hill, Emily Jane Hilscher, Jarrett Lee Lane, Matthew Joseph La Porte, Henry J. Lee, Partahi Mamora Halomoan Lumbantoruan, Lauren Ashley McCain, Daniel Patrick O'Neil, J. Ortiz-Ortiz, Minal Hiralal Panchal, Daniel Alejandro Perez, Erin Nicole Peterson, Michael Steven Pohle, Jr., Julia Kathleen Pryde, Mary Karen Read, Reema Joseph Samaha, Waleed Mohamed Shaalan, Leslie Geraldine Sherman, Maxine Shelly Turner, Nicole White, Instructor Christopher James Bishop, and Professors Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, Kevin P. Granata, Liviu Librescu and G.V. Loganathan.
We pray for their families and loved ones who are experiencing so much excruciating grief. And we pray for those who were injured and for those whose lives are changed forever because of what they witnessed and experienced.
Each of these people had so much love, talent and gifts to offer, and their lives were cut short by a horrible and senseless act.
We are humbled by this darkness. We feel hopeless, helpless and lost. This is someone that I grew up with and loved. Now I feel like I didn't know this person.
We have always been a close, peaceful and loving family. My brother was quiet and reserved, yet struggled to fit in. We never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence.
He has made the world weep. We are living a nightmare.
There is much justified anger and disbelief at what my brother did, and a lot of questions are left unanswered. Our family will continue to cooperate fully and do whatever we can to help authorities understand why these senseless acts happened. We have many unanswered questions as well.
Our family is so very sorry for my brother's unspeakable actions. It is a terrible tragedy for all of us.
1 comment:
I had not heard this statment yet, Becky. Thanks for sharing it. It is just all so awful!
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