There is something that has been missing in the coverage of the massacre at Virginia Tech. It is not interviews with distraught witnesses, stories of escapes, stories of the unfortunate ones who didn’t escape, media critiques of the college administration’s actions, or praise for the “professionalism” law enforcement officers (from law enforcement officers), or calls for grief counseling. It is an interest in the shooter.
Part of it is that we didn’t know his name until a few minutes ago. But there does seem to be a focus on “the tragedy” to the exclusion of the person, either evil or deranged, who caused “the tragedy.” Indeed, the closest the press has come (in my viewing time) to talking about the shooter was Anderson Cooper’s interview last night with a previous campus shooter. This incarcerated shooter blamed video games–he didn’t know that, if you shot somebody, they might die.
I don’t believe that. I blame the killer for his killings.