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AOL News has obtained two plays a classmate says were written by Cho Seung-Hui. Ian MacFarlane, the former classmate and current AOL employee, provided us with the plays. A note from Mr. MacFarlane and links to the works appear below.What happened yesterday:
When I first heard about the multiple shootings at Virginia Tech yesterday, my first thought was about my friends, and my second thought was "I bet it was Seung Cho."
Cho was in my playwriting class last fall, and nobody seemed to think much of him at first. He would sit by himself whenever possible, and didn't like talking to anyone. I don't think I've ever actually heard his voice before. He was just so quiet and kept to himself. Looking back, he fit the exact stereotype of what one would typically think of as a "school shooter" – a loner, obsessed with violence, and serious personal problems. Some of us in class tried to talk to him to be nice and get him out of his shell, but he refused talking to anyone. It was like he didn't want to be friends with anybody. One friend of mine tried to offer him some Halloween candy that she still had, but he slowly shook his head, refusing it. He just came to class every day and submitted his work on time, as I understand it.
A major part of the playwriting class was peer reviews. We would write one-act plays and submit them to an online repository called Blackboard for everyone in the class to read and comment about in class the next day. Typically, the students give their opinions about the plays and suggest ways to make it better, the professor gives his insights, then asks the author to comment about the play in class.
When we read Cho's plays, it was like something out of a nightmare. The plays had really twisted, macabre violence that used weapons I wouldn't have even thought of. Before Cho got to class that day, we students were talking to each other with serious worry about whether he could be a school shooter. I was even thinking of scenarios of what I would do in case he did come in with a gun, I was that freaked out about him. When the students gave reviews of his play in class, we were very careful with our words in case he decided to snap. Even the professor didn't pressure him to give closing comments.
After hearing about the mass shootings, I sent one of my friends a Facebook message asking him if he knew anything about Seung Cho and if he could have been involved. He replied: "dude that's EXACTLY what I was thinking! No, I haven't heard anything, but seriously, that was the first thing I thought when I heard he was Asian."
While I "knew" Cho, I always wished there was something I could do for him, but I couldn't think of anything. As far as notifying authorities, there isn't (to my knowledge) any system set up that lets people say "Hey! This guy has some issues! Maybe you should look into this guy!" If there were, I definitely would have tried to get the kid some help. I think that could have had a good chance of averting yesterday's tragedy more than anything.
While I was hesitant at first to release these plays (because I didn't know if there are laws against it), I had to put myself in the shoes of the average person researching this situation. I'd want to know everything I could about the killer to figure out what could drive a person to do something like this and hopefully prevent it in the future. Also, I hope this might help people start caring about others more no matter how weird they might seem, because if this was some kind of cry for attention, then he should have gotten it a long time ago.
As far as the victims go, as I was heading to bed last night, I heard that my good friend Stack (Ryan Clark) was one of the first confirmed dead. I didn't want to believe that I'd never get to talk to him again, and all I could think about was how much I could tell him how much his friendship meant to me. During my junior year, Ryan, another friend and I used to get breakfast on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Shultz Dining Hall, one of the cafeterias on campus, and it was always the highlight of my day. He could talk forever it seemed and always made us laugh. He was a good friend, not just to me, but to a lot of people, and I'll miss him a lot.
Click on the links below the read the plays. WARNING: the plays contain profanity and scenes with disturbing content.
- Read Play #1: 'Richard McBeef'
- Read Play #2: 'Mr. Brownstone'
Reader Comments ( Page 7 of 689)
91. I'm very surprised that writing like this didn't get the attention of the school authorities. He was obviously a very angry young man and relayed issues that he had through his writing. I wonder about his home life and family? I'd like to hear about that.
Blackdog at 3:02PM on Apr 17th 2007
92. Rather than focusing on the state of this idiot's intellect...the content of this "play" shows the out of control anger he had going on, even in the written word...he was a murderer.
carol at 3:02PM on Apr 17th 2007
93. THIS COMMENT IS FOR "CARI" AND THE OTHER MORONS WHO ARE TOO STUPID TO REALIZE THAT "STACY" AND OTHERS ARE CRITICIZING CHO SEUNG-HUI'S PLAY AND NOT WHAT IAN MCFARLANE WROTE!!! PEOPLE, GET A CLUE!!!! READ THE ACTUAL PLAY THAT CHO SEUNG-HUI WROTE!! THAT IS WHAT WE ARE ALL MAKING FUN OF SAYING THAT THE GRAMMAR IS HORRIBLE!! IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT IAN MCFARLANE WROTE!! YOU ARE A BUNCH OF MORONS! MAYBE YOU NEED AN ENGLISH CLASS AND A READING COMPREHENSION CLASS AS WELL!!!!!
Tina at 3:02PM on Apr 17th 2007
94. No the first comment is right this kid is a moron, how did he even make it to be a Senior? Yeah he has problems, and the teacher probably should have brought this to a department head but wow this kid was a complete idiot.....and a huge coward
Mike at 3:02PM on Apr 17th 2007
95. You can tell this kid had some problems. I wish there was something that could have been done to help him. From what I read previously, he seemed to have communications issues too. Autism? Who knows.
willow reed at 3:03PM on Apr 17th 2007
96. Wondering if the play was autobiographical in writing of his anger and family issues? I also wonder if the instructor could have given a copy of this "play" to a counselor since everyone else was picking up on the students' anger and antisocial behavior that seemed to be displayed in his schoolwork? Hindsight is 20/20 but a policy in place to be aware and try to counsel students who display anger and need help.
M A at 3:03PM on Apr 17th 2007
97. sorry to stacey if her comment wasn't intended to the writter.
jessica at 3:03PM on Apr 17th 2007
98. Do you this play was sparked by something from his childhood experience? I agree with stacy, and i don't think that she meant it as a grammar comment, but more of that fact that his thoughts were more child-like and less mature for someone of his age.
angeleyes36190 at 3:03PM on Apr 17th 2007
99. I am not sure what to say about the play. I am torn between anger at this person for what he did to so many innocent lives and at the same time sadened because no one saved him from himself. He was obviously a very tormented soul. I only pray that this tragic thing helps someone, somewhere to see what is in themselves or in someone else and reach out, wether it be to help or to be helped.
Lynn at 3:03PM on Apr 17th 2007
100. This was a horribly written "ACT"--but aside from that, why wouldn't the Professor have done something. Told school counselors, the principal--SOMETHING! Reading that, you might actually think he might have been trapped in a 13 year old mind set and he was enacting his OWN troublesome life?! I understand why the peers didn't want to say/do something-he's a loose cannon! The professor didn't have to say something to him directly, just letting the right people know may have resulted in a different situation than what VT has had to suffer for...
Jennifer at 3:03PM on Apr 17th 2007
101. This individual had serious problems. Maybe something happened to him for him to think these thoughts. Who knows what happened when he was a young child. Who knows what he has seen. He had alot bottled up in him and maybe the people who he once trusted hurt him in a way that he could not overcome. When he wrote these plays, he was crying out for help it was just up to maybe the instructor to assist him with that. Maybe now people would notice the warning signs and do something before it was too late. He should have been seeing someone along with his family.
Danny at 3:03PM on Apr 17th 2007
102. I am very curious to learn more about this guys past, he obviously had deep seeded issues. Scary that there are no ways of preventing suicidal murderers from murdering. God bless the families and friends of the murdered and wounded.
Jen at 3:03PM on Apr 17th 2007
103. This play definitely reveals what he probably thought about on a daily basis. While reading this it's like I could feel his anger. It made me feel realy uneasy.
Sheena at 3:03PM on Apr 17th 2007
104. To #52 - Listen, nutcase, "Stacey" was not referring to Ian's writing - you dope, it was the play written by CHO, which was pretty stupid and did not make any sense! Even an 8th grader could do better than that! Pay attention.
Susan at 3:03PM on Apr 17th 2007
105. Just because he writes stuff like this does not mean he is going to go off and kill a bunch of folks. Why hasn't Stephen King killed anyone or any of those folks who write the Freddy movies or Friday the 13th etc. I've written stuff that is just as disturbing and I guarntee you I'm never going to do anything like this
hank at 3:03PM on Apr 17th 2007