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Va. Tech Shooter Seen as 'Collector of Injustice'
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Cho, 23, of Centreville, whose family was religious and had sought help for him from a Woodbridge church, repeatedly made religious references. He said that he had been "crucified" and that, as with Jesus, his actions would set people free. He called himself a "martyr" who would "sacrifice" his life. He wrote that he would go down in history as the "Jesus Christ of the Weak and Defenseless." He thought his actions would inspire others to fight back and get even.
Among the writings, Cho included three pictures of himself, which investigators think show how his self-image progressed. In the first picture, he is smiling. In the next, his arms are outstretched like Jesus's on the cross. And in the third, his arms are crossed as if he is lying dead in a coffin, agents said.
As part of his physical transformation, investigators have said, he methodically bought weapons and clothes for his killing spree. They have documented his purchases in detail, from the cargo pants he wore in Norris Hall to the hundreds of rounds of ammunition he carried and his visits to a nearby firing range.
When he was ready, he wrote: "I am Ax Ishmael."
Police have not discovered why he uses the word "Ax," but his writings suggest he identified with Ishmael. According to some religious scholars, Ishmael held his brothers in contempt, despised the rituals of society and considered himself to be free of social control.
The writings also reveal that Cho had decided to strike out against those who had committed what he perceived were injustices against him: "I say we take up the cross, Children of Ishmael, take up our guns and knives . . . and take no prisoners and spare no lives."
State police officials would not comment on the ATF's theory about Cho. They said investigators do not now why Cho chose his particular victims or the locations of his killings.
"We don't know all the answers," State Police Superintendent W. Steven Flaherty said in an interview. "There are hundreds of items of evidence at the medical examiner. There are hundreds and hundreds of interviews. It could be another six months. We are interviewing and re-interviewing. Law enforcement only gets one chance to get this right."
