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WaPo writer talks VT shooter/Counter-Strike connection, removal
Filed under: PC, First Person Shooters, Strategy
When a Washington Post story mentioned that Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung Hui played Counter-Strike in high school, we were intrigued. When the nugget disappeared from an online version of the Post story, we were even more intrigued

To clarify the situation, we caught up with Washington Post Staff Writer David Cho, who was responsible for originally reporting the factoid. Cho said the information was based on talks with some high school acquaintances of Hui's who occasionally saw him playing at an cyber cafe during his high school days.

Cho said there was no solid indication either way whether or not Hui continued to play during three-and-a-half years at college. Hui's college roommates reportedly saw Hui on the computer constantly, but said he was usually writing, not playing games. Cho said a group of Virginia Tech Counter-Strike players he talked to had never heard of Hui, and that Hui hadn't attended a recent Counter-Strike tournament held on campus.

As for the removal, Cho said it was standard practice to replace a rougher online version of a story with the polished print version when it was available. The Counter-Strike connection was removed, Cho said, to make room for more recent, more relevant information. Still, the fact is on file at the Post, Cho said, and it's possible it could make it into a future story.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Author: Kyle Orland
Category: cho seung huiChoSeungHuiCounterstrikedavid choDavidChomediashootingviolenceWashington PostWashingtonPost
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Source: Joystiq
Description: Joystiq

"Hey don't you lie! It was the video games what done it"

There's a lot of Cho in that piece, it's quite a confusing read.

Apparently Hitler played Pong once. Explains everything.

Dog Pants wrote:Apparently Hitler played Pong once. Explains everything.

i always imagined he wouldve been more of a space invaders kinda guy

shot2bits wrote:
i always imagined he wouldve been more of a space invaders kinda guy

I see your point.

Well, games are obviously to blame, as he once played one. It's a good job our BeeF ragers don't have access to weapons or anything...

It's the usual blamestorming by the press which annoys me, although I'm not entirely convinced by the gun store owners protestations of innocence, saying he should have been told the client had mental health issues. I think I'd just shut the fuck up in his position, maybe go on a bit of a holiday.

FatherJack wrote:It's a good job our BeeF ragers don't have access to weapons or anything...

Pffffft

FatherJack wrote:It's the usual blamestorming by the press which annoys me, although I'm not entirely convinced by the gun store owners protestations of innocence, saying he should have been told the client had mental health issues. I think I'd just shut the fuck up in his position, maybe go on a bit of a holiday.

The media aren't blaming games - they removed that bit soon after putting it up. It looks like they'd have liked to make the connection though if they could have made it stand. As for the gun store owner, he's hardly to blame if he was following the law but you're probably right about it being best for him to try and stay low profile.

I done wroted a stage show about the days leading up to the massacre. It's called "The Loonited States of Merca"

<i>Ext: Virginia gun store, it's early morning and a man is busy beavering away cleaning some shells behind a counter, a young gentleman, about mid 20s walks in.</i>

<b>Gun Store Owner:</b> "Morning Sir, how can I help you?"

<b>Customer:</b> "Good morning, I was wondering if I could have one of those there firearm thingies?"

<b>GSO:</b> "Certainly Sir"

<b>C:</b> "I am mentally ill however, is that a problem?"

<b>GSO:</b> "There you go sir, $119.99 please"

<b>C:</b> "Did you hear me? I am mentally ill, I'll probably kill people"

<b>GSO:</b> "Thank you sir, $119.99 please"

<b>C:</b> "Thank you, goodbye"

<i>The customer bounds out of the shop cackling and discharging his pistol into the air. He's wearing a blue-checked gingham dress and clutching a glove puppet he refers to as 'Mr Flibble'.</i>

That was* based on eyewitness reports at the gun store.







*not

tandino wrote:a story

I think the gun store owner in your tale was a little lax, however - he should have asked whether the buyer intended to shoot animals, or people, and thus selected the correct ammunition.

FatherJack wrote:It's a good job our BeeF ragers don't have access to weapons or anything...

Oh wait, I know that there are no less than 6 guns in this house: 2 12-ga. Mossbergs, a .410 bolt-action shotgun, a Ruger 10/22 (with a scope and 25 round banana clips OMG ASSAULT RIFLE), a .22 revolver, and a Argentinian Colt 1911 knockoff.

...and someone just taught Chicken how to make bombs.

Lateralus wrote:...and someone just taught Chicken how to make bombs.

that's it, we're doomed.

*BOOM!*

"Did you just hear something?"

"Nope."

Chicken: silent but deadly, like a fart in the night.

Lateralus wrote:...and someone just taught Chicken how to make bombs.

I hope he's better at building bombs than he is at building computers.

Sheriff Fatman wrote:I hope he's better at building bombs than he is at building computers.

I'm sure he is. Bombs are meant to cause smoke and stop things working in a dramatic fashion.

Sheriff Fatman wrote:
I hope he's better at bumming bombs than he is at bumming computers.

fix'd

Lateralus wrote:...and someone just taught Chicken how to make bombs.

Twas a bad idea surely.
/ *whistles* and walks away slowly