3-2 Milestone One Sydney Marchetti Southern New Hampshire University Department of Psychology: PSY 310 Stephanie Backer-Krisel March 2024 Domestic Terrorist: Seung Hoi Cho
Summary: The case I have selected for my final project investigation is Seung Hoi Cho. Seung Hoi Cho perpetrated an act of domestic terrorism, therefore earning the classification of a terrorist. He was born in South Korea and then relocated to Virginia, in the United States, at the age of eight. Cho's family is the proprietor of a dry-cleaning business in Centreville, VA. Cho received a diagnosis of significant depression, anxiety, and selective mutism throughout middle school. Seung Hoi Cho was characterized as a reticent individual who had an affinity for basketball and mathematics. However, he endured bullying from his peers (biography.com, 2021). He experienced persistent bullying throughout his entire youth and frequently experienced exclusion from a sizable portion of his classmates. Cho exhibited mood swings, social withdrawal, and sporadic episodes of anger throughout his time in high school. Teenagers in his own age group misunderstood him, and he began to feel distant from them as a result. He completed his high school education in 2003 and enrolled at Virginia Polytechnic University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Due to his mysterious conduct, he bestowed upon himself the moniker "Question Mark." Cho aspired to be a writer, specializing in horror tales and poetry. Seung Hoi Cho carried out a shooting spree at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007. At around 7 a.m., he started his violent act in the dormitory by fatally assaulting two students, one male and one female. The police promptly arrived at the scene, although they lacked a description of the assailant, leading them to speculate that the gunman was the boyfriend of the female victim. Cho's identity as the gunman became apparent when he began shooting at a university building containing classes at about 9:45 a.m. He secured the major doors by fastening them with chains and locks to impede the authorities' access. He began a rampage, moving from
one classroom to another, indiscriminately firing against both students and instructors. Cho fatally murdered 32 individuals before he took his own life by shooting himself in the head, before the arrival of the police. Cho's actions are classified as domestic terrorism, and he perpetrated one of the most lethal school shootings in the history of the United States. Initial Hypothesis Seung Hoi Cho received a diagnosis of acute anxiety and significant depression. According to his medical records, he had a difficult childhood because of being bullied and being socially isolated. Cho experienced bullying from affluent individuals, which subsequently fostered a strong aversion towards those of high socioeconomic status. As to biography.com, Cho visited the post office to send a parcel to NBC News in New York during the period between the two sets of assaults. Delivered 48 hours after the homicides, the package included video footage, images of Cho beside his weaponry, and a lengthy, incoherent text. In a video excerpt, he vehemently criticizes affluent individuals referred