Expert says Cho didn’t fit suicidal profile

The 39 pages of Seung Hui Cho’s counseling records give us a glimpse of the problems the Virginia Tech student was facing before he took 32 lives and his own.

However, in the 39 pages you won’t find a smoking gun.
   
We took the records to a counselor for answers.
   
Steve Strosnider with Psychological Health Roanoke read the documents released by Virginia Tech, with the permission of Cho’s parents.

“I think Cho presented himself as depressed, but repeatedly there was no evidence of suicidal intent, homicidal intent,” explained Strosnider, a Licensed Professional Counselor.
   
He says out of all of the information from Cook Counseling Center and Carilion New River Valley Medical Center, the most interesting and insightful piece came from the visit to the hospital.
   
The physical examination reads…
“He was non-verbal, very quiet, sits in the chair looking down at the floor, does not blink.  Often does not answer questions, or perhaps shakes his head ‘yes’ or ‘no’.  When he does speak, it’s very slow, very soft spoken.  No smile, no laughter, no crying. Patient does not blink.  The patient speaks so softly it’s almost difficult to hear him.“

We asked Strosnider what that information tells him.

“A very flat, perhaps avoidant, schizoid type of presentation where a person has a great deal of anxiety and discomfort interacting with others,” he responded.
   
Odd behavior, but he says no red flags.

“Certainly again, there were odd behaviors and that was noted, nothing that would indicate that something this horrendous was immanent,” Strosnider said.
     
Strosnider added had Cho told counselors and doctors that he had fantasized or thought about suicide or homicide that would have been a red flag.
 
Another strong sign would have been any indication of a traumatic experience or loss in his life and none of that appears in the papers.