Never before have so many innocent victims died as during the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre. The Seung-Hui Cho shooting resulted in 25 injuries and 32 deaths, more than the Columbine school shooting. And why? Senseless violence presupposes that the aggression displayed is disproportionate to the underlying conflict. This article will provide explanations for this terrible massacre from different perspectives. You had a hundred billion chances and ways to have avoided today. (..) Now you have blood on your hands that will never wash off. (..) Thanks to you, I die like Jesus Christ, to inspire generations of the weak and the defenseless people. (Seung-Hui Cho, 2007)
Depression and parenting
Seung-Hui Cho has always been different from others, but it was only when he was in high school that he was diagnosed with severe depression and selective mutation, which results in impaired language. Depression is often associated with lower levels of serotonin and MAOA, which is accompanied by increased sensitivity and aggressiveness. (BBC, 2002). An adequate upbringing can act as a buffer for aggression-related genes (BBC 2004b), but unfortunately Seung- Both parents are forced to work long hours for a living. Moreover, poverty within the community may be associated with a poorly varied or inadequate diet, which can result in aggressive and antisocial behavior (BBC, 2004). This ontogenetic explanation, which deals with the development of behavior (Kalat, 2007), illustrates the interaction of genes and nutrition.
Schizophrenia and autism
In addition to the diagnosed depression and selective mutation, Seung-Hui Cho also showed symptoms of schizophrenia and autism. The result is a reduction of brain tissue and a disruption of the connections, migration and balance between and within neurons in, among others, the frontal, the temporal lobes and the amygdala (Persico, 2006), which affects emotional capacities. This may explain why Seung-Hui Cho made the impulsive choice to engage in this act. The use of drugs or alcohol also has a fatal impact on brain activity and often plays a major role in violent activities. However, no traces of drugs or alcohol were found during Seung-Hui Cho’s autopsy. In addition, the hormone testosterone may provide a physiological explanation for this act (Kalat, 2007), while other studies point to the hormone progesterone (BBC, 2003). A higher level of both or either hormone plays into the hands of violence.
Survival of the fittest
The fact that the testosterone level of men is generally higher than that of women can be explained from an evolutionary perspective, the evolutionary history of the development of behavior (Kalat, 2007). Where women have taken care of children for generations, men are usually responsible for food supply and protection of the family. This is no different in the animal kingdom, showing aggression can also provide a reproductive advantage and dominant status within a group, although it can also be counterproductive (BBC, 2004b)10. The latter simultaneously reflects a functional explanation, as Seung-Hui Cho knew that his risky act would give him more status than before. In that sense, albeit briefly, it could no longer be called pointless.
Prevention
The tragedy of the drama that took place in Virginia is that it could perhaps have been prevented, as a panel of experts found, among other things, that medical care during his study proved to be inadequate (Commonwealth, 2007). All signs of disturbing behavior were present, but all necessary diagnoses were never made. The lesson Seung-Hui Cho teaches us after thirty-two murders is that offering the right medical help and therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, can save the lives of not only the victims, but also the perpetrator. Possible negative side effects are insignificant compared to the opportunities it offers to resume a life that is as normal as possible and to remove a danger to society. Moreover, it is a salient detail that Seung-Hui Cho obtained weapons, despite the fact that a judge had denied him the right to own a weapon.
Conclusion
The story of Seung-Hui Cho portrayed in this piece has provided insight into the biological explanations underlying this chilling act. It not only confirms the general view that the psychological condition, background and environment of the perpetrator can play a role, but it also delves deeper into the way in which genes and the environment interact from a biological perspective. And it is this insight that opens the doors for many possible interventions, but unfortunately for Seung-Hui Cho himself and all his victims it is already too late, much too late.