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No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm

 
Anonymous Coward
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04/20/2007 07:57 AM
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No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
Humphrey Cheung

April 19, 2007 18:06

Blacksburg (VA) - Police and news media are still trying to figure out what caused Virginia Tech student Cho Seung-Hui to kill himself along with 32 classmates and teachers, but so far violent video games don't appear to be a factor. In a search warrant performed on the same night as the April 16th killings, police found chains, tools, computers and compact discs, but no games. Almost immediately after the shootings, Dr. Phil McGraw and Jack Thompson appeared on major news networks and tried to link Seung-Hui's shootings to violent video game play.

Virginia State Police searched Seung-Hui's room at around 9:06 PM on April 16th and recovered 16 pieces of evidence. Most of the items were fairly average including combination locks, notepads and documents, but police also grabbed the killer's Compaq computer, two cases of compact disks and an 80 GB hard drive. CNN has obtained a copy of the search warrant and the list of items collected. You can read that document here .


You can see from the list that no video game boxes, joysticks, controller pads or software was seized. There were also no game consoles in the dorm room, indeed Seung-Hui's roommate has told police and reporters that he's never saw the killer play any video games. Of course, the police could still find games on the hard drives or compact discs, but, at this point, it doesn't appear that video games of any kind played any factor in Seung-Hui's rampage.

After the shootings, noted television psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw appeared on CNN's Larry King show and said that violent video games were "programming" kids. "You cannot tell me, common sense tells you that if these kids are playing video games, where they're on a mass killing spree in a video game, it's glamorized on the big screen, it's become part of the fiber of our society," said McGraw. You can read the entire transcript of Dr. Phil's comments here .

Attorney and anti-violent game activist Jack Thompson also went on a media offensive by giving interviews to major networks like Fox News and MSNBC. In those interviews he linked school shootings with violent video games and added that they help the killers simulate and plan out the shootings.

"Typically the school shooters train literally on video games to do this," Thompson told MSNBC. In his Fox News interview, he said that the FBI found that the "common denominator" in school shootings were the shooter's immersion in incredibly violent video games. The study that Thompson cites is "The School Shooter: A Threat Assessment Perspective" and actually isn't as clear cut as Thompson asserts. It said that violent video games was a factor, but added that violent movies and media in general could also cause violence. You can read the FBI paper here.

At this point no one really knows what caused Seung-Hui to go on a murderous shooting spree. Evidence is continuing to pour in and some people are now speculating that he could have patterned his rampage after scenes from a very violent released in 2004 called "Oldboy". Of course there is one person who knows exactly what happened, and unfortunately - or fortunately depending on your perspective - he took that secret to his grave.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 93985
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04/20/2007 08:03 AM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
[link to www.mobygames.com]

had to mention this one, a game from 1989

Schoolyard Slaughter

played it, know people who played it... nobody went on shooting sprees afterwards... link is too some screenshots
Anonymous Coward (OP)
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04/20/2007 08:50 AM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
bump
wer23
User ID: 225908
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04/20/2007 09:17 AM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
Being part of the generation growing up with newer computer games like the doom, quake and halflife series I can acknowledge its easy to think slicing someones head off. And movies like Cube and other horror movies give inspiration too. Its easy to imagine slicing someone to bits. But is it really that bad? Its just imagination, I wont do it for real...or maybe I will? I know the probable consequences: Revenges, Prison, schocked people etc. Luckily im a bit lazy, but who knows... ;P
Anonymous Coward
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04/20/2007 09:22 AM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
[link to www.mobygames.com]

had to mention this one, a game from 1989

Schoolyard Slaughter

played it, know people who played it... nobody went on shooting sprees afterwards... link is too some screenshots
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 93985


Nice! thumbs
Anonymous Coward
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04/20/2007 09:29 AM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
Being part of the generation growing up with newer computer games like the doom, quake and halflife series I can acknowledge its easy to think slicing someones head off. And movies like Cube and other horror movies give inspiration too. Its easy to imagine slicing someone to bits. But is it really that bad? Its just imagination, I wont do it for real...or maybe I will? I know the probable consequences: Revenges, Prison, schocked people etc. Luckily im a bit lazy, but who knows... ;P
 Quoting: wer23 225908


Same here. I've seen cube too. I live in UK though where guns are seen as tools which are used for one thing - killing.

I've played literally hundreds upon hundreds of games where it involved a gun and killing to achieve your objectives.

Not all games though require you to kill. Deus Ex for example you have access to a variety of guns yet you can go through the entire game without needing to kill anyone.

Anyway In real life, I hate guns. I do not wish to ever want to have the need to use one. Unless I was fighting for my country or my family and friends etc, which will probably never happen..
Anonymous Coward (OP)
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04/20/2007 11:55 AM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
which will probably never happen..

i woulent be so sure about that!
Atma

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04/20/2007 12:00 PM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
"Typically the school shooters train literally on video games to do this," Thompson told MSNBC. In his Fox News interview, he said that the FBI found that the "common denominator" in school shootings were the shooter's immersion in incredibly violent video games.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 224196



bsflag


I get tired of shit heads using video games as a scape goat. These shooters are fucked up in the head to start with. Games don't make them that way.
ac
User ID: 225559
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04/20/2007 12:02 PM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
maybe in some of the games he played, you could pick up a girl for a date by stalking her and pointing a gun at her. I wonder what game he learned that from? In Japan, they have these shirts with BITCH logo over a gun held to a womans head. Maybe he knew about that.
Anonymous Coward
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04/20/2007 12:08 PM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
maybe in some of the games he played, you could pick up a girl for a date by stalking her and pointing a gun at her. I wonder what game he learned that from? In Japan, they have these shirts with BITCH logo over a gun held to a womans head. Maybe he knew about that.
 Quoting: ac 225559



um your scary.
Anonymous Coward
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04/20/2007 12:13 PM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
"....At this point no one really knows what caused Seung-Hui to go on a murderous shooting spree....."

I see they haven't mentioned anti-depressants.
BadMatt

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04/20/2007 12:15 PM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
I would argue that this is a case FOR violent video games.

If he would have had some around, he could have blown off some steam and channel his anger differently.
Anonymous Coward
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04/20/2007 12:18 PM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
the whole point to
most of this is to disarm you,

and then make shure that only the mill
can have acces to games for training,

i read that the mill at one point had
i game out like doom for there army
guys to play,
and i have seen on the web
pics of there, V-R shooting
in rooms,
they were useing that because they didn't
have room for a range.

anyway,

if you ban guns and anything that mite make
a shooter [any kind of training],
even bullshit games,
they you truly dis arm the people
and hasn't that been the plan of the nwo
all over the world?

if they have guns and police and armys,
and you have nothing,
then they have made everthing that happened
in the last 100 years mean nothing.
and you'll be a surf or less.
Anonymous Coward
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04/20/2007 08:27 PM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
"I get tired of shit heads using video games as a scape goat. These shooters are fucked up in the head to start with. Games don't make them that way."

Yup... it's BS, nerds and gamers know it. And I agree with the other poster who says maybe if the guy DID HAVE a few violent games then maybe he would have had an outlet to blow off some steam. We all probably know blaming games is diversionary, and people who have had a long standing agenda will use any excuse they can to try and catapult their issue back into the spotlight and advance it if they can.

Antidepressants? I can believe that as a contributing factor could be on the top 10 or top 5...
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 226152
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04/20/2007 08:32 PM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
Not all games though require you to kill. Deus Ex for example you have access to a variety of guns yet you can go through the entire game without needing to kill anyone.


 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 180383



I took down a sentry robot. Still feeling guilty about that...
Disturbed

User ID: 2269
Netherlands
04/20/2007 08:45 PM
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Re: No video games found in search of Virginia Tech killer's dorm
"I get tired of shit heads using video games as a scape goat. These shooters are fucked up in the head to start with. Games don't make them that way."

Yup... it's BS, nerds and gamers know it. And I agree with the other poster who says maybe if the guy DID HAVE a few violent games then maybe he would have had an outlet to blow off some steam. We all probably know blaming games is diversionary, and people who have had a long standing agenda will use any excuse they can to try and catapult their issue back into the spotlight and advance it if they can.

Antidepressants? I can believe that as a contributing factor could be on the top 10 or top 5...
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 93985


Agreed, been playing multiplayer shooting games for years and it's a great outlet if you feel down or agressive. It's a funny world those online shooting communities yeah





GLP