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American Morning

Mind of a Killer; Virginia Tech Students React; Senate Showdown - Gonzales Testimony Today; Security on Other Campuses

Aired April 19, 2007 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back again to AMERICAN MORNING.
I'm John Roberts.

We continue to broadcast live from the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, on this Thursday, April the 19th -- Kiran.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry here in New York.

And John, behind you, I can see you changed locations. That's where that makeshift memorial -- and you can see the huge banner behind you, the Hokies. They talked a lot about the Hokie spirit and how important that's going to be in the days and weeks to come to getting at least some semblance of normalcy back.

ROBERTS: Yes, absolutely. And you see that everywhere. So many people have written on those memorial boards that we talked about earlier today.

"The proudest day of my life is the day that I became a Hokie." There's a sense of Hokie pride. And people are really relying on that to try to get them through this terrible, terrible ordeal that began at 7:15 in the morning on Monday.

Jus to give you a little bit of perspective, we're at one end of the drill field here, this memorial. People have been leaving messages. There's a guest list here that people have been signing, flowers, candles still burning.

President Bush dropped something off here on Tuesday when he came down. And you can see how very close it is to Norris Hall. That's Norris Hall up there, still surrounded by yellow police tape just at the top of that hill. So, inside of Norris Hall, where 30 people died on this campus, this memorial is a centerpiece where people can come to express their grief, their sorrow, their remembrances, their respect of the victims of Cho Seung-Hui -- Kiran.

CHETRY: Well, that's a picture of empathy and sympathy and gentleness, a very different picture what we are seeing from that disturbing videotape. And more of it coming out today of Cho Seung- Hui's multimedia diatribe from beyond the grave.

We know now that between the two shooting attacks on Monday, Cho express-mailed a package to NBC containing homemade video, as well as digital photos and an 1800-word rant. The images show Cho with what could be the murder weapons, also a knife, wearing a vest that many of the survivors describe him wearing in his killing spree.

A short while ago, NBC's "Today" show released some new video from that package that he sent. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHO SEUNG-HUI, VIRGINIA TECH GUNMAN: This is it. This is where it all ends. End of the road. What a life it was. Some life.

Did you think I wanted to do this? Do you think I ever dreamed of dying like this? In a million years, I didn't want to do this.

You have vandalized my heart, raped my soul, and tortured my conscience. You thought it was one pathetic boy's life you were extinguishing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: So what do those images and hateful words tell us? Just a few moments ago we spoke with Dr. Todd Cox, a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. TODD COX, PSYCHIATRIST: But in reviewing what we have seen that has come out yesterday, it's quite clear that he's -- was suffering significantly from psychotic beliefs that the grandiosity, the persecutory beliefs that he expressed certainly are consistent with psychosis that we usually see as part of a mental illness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Certainly no doubt a mental illness, John, but also a look into the premeditation. The new video that we saw where he's wearing the hood and he says, "This is it. Some life." Presumably, at least according to the preliminary investigation, two murders had already happened. He already shot two people at a dormitory, and he appears so calm as he is clearly saying he is going to do more damage.

ROBERTS: Yes. Just the very fact, too, that he apparently killed those two people in the West AJ Hall, went back to his dormitory, made some additions to the PDF file, saved it, downloaded it all on to a CD, put it into a package and then walked to the post office, speaks of the cold, calculated nature of the premeditation of this murderous rampage that he went on.

As you can imagine, the release of all of these materials has sparked an outflow of emotions. Most of it negative emotions, range and anger among people across the country, particularly here at the Virginia Tech campus.

You might have seen the interview I did a couple of moments ago with Ken Stanton (ph) and Gara Vansall (ph), friends of one of the victims of Cho, and when I asked them if they had seen the video, they immediately -- you could see the flash of anger in their eyes, and they shut down, saying, "We don't want to talk about that." And after we got off the air, we said -- they said to me, "He's gotten lots of publicity. Let's talk about the victims here and remember them."

And Sean Callebs has been looking in to this aspect of it. He's talked with some more students here at Virginia Tech.

And Sean, is that really the sentiment that you're getting this morning, is that these students are very upset, very angry at the fact that these materials were, A, completed in the first place and then, B, released?

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, without question. We were able to talk to a handful of students this morning, some on camera, some not on camera. And let's remember, school has been cancelled here throughout the rest of the week, so a lot of people have actually gone home.

We were able to talk with a psychologist who works with students here, and she told me that she believes that Monday is going to be the worst day, when school starts again, the campus is full once again. She says right now so many of those students are home with loved ones trying to deal as best they can.

But clearly, the way that Cho just seemed so self-absorbed and really so diabolical, the word that you used, John, a short while ago, really hit home with a lot of these students. And many of them say it is really the last thing that they wanted to see.

For them, the most disappointing news was the fact that they wanted to believe that maybe this was just some random act. But clearly it was premeditated and extremely cruel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIN BLAUVELT, SOPHOMORE: It was just really frightening. It was kind of surreal knowing that someone who was seemingly like normal looking -- and if I had seen him in class I probably wouldn't have thought anything of it.

BRITNEY ROCKWELL, SOPHOMORE: It was absolutely terrible. For someone to purposely know what they were going to do to our school and the community is -- there's no words for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLEBS: That last girl, Britney, very difficult to talk to her. We were down where you are right now, where the makeshift memorial has popped up, and it was just difficult. Britney had been up all night. She felt she had to come back to the campus and at least write something on that board, John.

A very emotional time for so many of the students and faculty here.

ROBERTS: It really is a shock to the system, Sean, that just a couple of days after these murders that all of this material came out. You know, we remember back to the Columbine killings, didn't know much about the back story immediately. And it wasn't until the efforts of the parents of the victims going to court, trying to get these materials out from the hands of the investigators, that we finally learned about that.

But that took a couple of years that whole process. So, for this to only take a couple of days, as people are still going through the mourning process here, as you can imagine, it's just a slap upside the face.

Deborah Feyerick, our CNN correspondent, has been down here trying to trace the steps of Cho Seung-Hui as he went through this murderous rampage, and also the little side trip to the post office so he could tell the world what he has been up to. She has been retracing his steps. She's at the local post office here in Blacksburg.

Deb, what have you found out about the route that Cho Seung-Hui took in this murderous rampage?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was a route that was definitely predetermined. And what we can tell you is that postal inspectors showed up here at the post office probably about a half an hour ago.

There are about five of them. They're inside the post office. They tell us that they're going to be lending whatever help they can to the Virginia State Police.

We understand that the postal clerk who was here Monday morning was already interviewed by agents, and so that part of the equation has been taken care of. It's unclear whether there would be any additional fingerprints or whatnot. Again, it has been a couple of days. But the postal inspectors did arrive here just to lend whatever help they could.

Now, when you look, where you are sitting, John, right in front of you pretty much are the main gates. Just a pretty short walk. And then if you come two blocks down, you will get here to the main post office.

And so, most likely Cho came this direction and then up into that post office. It's a very small post office. There are no security cameras inside. One postal clerk on duty working early in the morning.

And he arrived here to post that envelope at about 9:01. And this was really after he had gone back to his dorm and updated the file that he had, because records show that the PDF file that he included within the package actually was changed a couple of minutes after that first shooting. And again, a gun. The gun is linked to both killings, both at the AJ Hall dorm and Norris Hall.

So, he updated the file, came in this direction, and posted that envelope -- John.

ROBERTS: Yes. And Deb, NBC News reporting this morning that he downloaded all of those files on to a CD right after he updated that PDF file so that all would have happened shortly after those first killings at West AJ.

Do we know, Deb, quickly, is this the only package that he mailed out?

FEYERICK: We are being told that there was only one package that was sent. And it also sort of goes to the mindset that here's somebody who really wanted to be burned into the public consciousness, that he wasn't willing to go without people remembering who he was, what he had done, and why he did it.

And that's what's so eerie about this. He got away with the first murder, apparently, which police believe he committed, and then walked here to this post office. And it's a two -- you know, two, three-lane street, main street here, not very busy at this time of day.

But again, he would have had to pass a lot of people on his way to do what he was doing. But he did so knowing, at least, that that first killing, nobody was looking for him -- John.

ROBERTS: All right. Unbelievable.

Deb Feyerick at the local post office.

Thanks very much.

And Kiran, there are a lot of people, as we said in the last couple of minutes, who don't want to know what Cho did and don't want the world to know why he did it. They are just so outraged by the fact that these materials are out there.

CHETRY: Yes. They certainly didn't want him to have a platform to spew more hate after what he did on Monday.

Well, after a two-day delay because of that tragedy, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales today faces down a Senate committee investigating the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. And the jury's still out, it appears, in the court of public opinion.

When asked should Gonzales resign, a new CNN-Opinion Research poll finds 38 percent of Americans said yes, 37 percent said no, and 24 percent were not sure.

As to whether President Bush should fire Gonzales, a confidante from his days as Texas governor, 31 percent say yes, 36 percent say no, and 33 percent are unsure.

CNN's Kelli Arena is live in Washington with what we will hear from the attorney general.

And Kelli, he did release his plans about what he was going to say last weekend. And it feels like such a long time ago now, especially in light of the tragedy at Virginia Tech.

Do you think he might change what he's going to say? KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: No, there's no indication that he will. I mean, Gonzales has a very clear mission here, Kiran. He needs to clear up the discrepancies between what he has said and what other officials in the Justice Department have said about the firing of those eight U.S. attorneys. And if he doesn't, he could very well lose his job.

Senator Chuck Schumer laid it on the line yesterday in anticipation of the hearing today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D-NY), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Given the contradictions and given the importance of trust in the attorney general's position as chief law enforcement officer of the land, the burden of proof is now on Alberto Gonzales. The attorney general and his supporters seem to think that simply denying that U.S. attorneys were fired for political reasons exonerates him. That just won't wash. The attorney general needs to give specific details as to why each U.S. attorney was fired.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: Now, so far, President Bush has stuck by his friend, but most political experts agree that Gonzales' luck may very run out if he is at all evasive today -- Kiran.

CHETRY: And what about in terms of what you have been able to review so far. Evidence of wrongdoing?

ARENA: You know, no. So far, no proof of any wrongdoing.

Now, critics have alleged that some of the prosecutors were fired into fear with ongoing corruption investigations. And if that were the case, then we have some serious issues here. But Gonzales insists that he has nothing to hide, but this whole thing has been handled so badly that even if there wasn't any wrongdoing, some lawmakers suggest that Gonzales' credibility is just shot for good.

CHETRY: You're going to be in there today. Are you expecting a lot of fireworks?

ARENA: I am. You know, some people were saying that the tone of this may change in lieu of -- because of the shootings that happened. I don't think so. I think these senators have been chomping at the bit waiting for this moment. I think it's just going to be open fire today.

CHETRY: All right. Well, we'll be staying with it, and we'll be getting your insight on it a little later as well.

Kelli Arena, thanks so much.

ARENA: You're welcome.

CHETRY: And we're going to go back to the campus of Virginia Tech next to hear from one of the people who lived with the shooter, hearing his voice for the first time in a taped message mailed between the killings.

Also, keeping students safe on campus. We're going to take to you one university to see what's working and how that may have helped prevent this tragedy.

AMERICAN MORNING returns from New York, as well as Blacksburg, Virginia, after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: The most news in the morning is here on CNN.

A developing story in Georgia. A huge wildfire about 120 miles southwest of Savannah. Fourteen homes now cinders, and more than 1,000 people have evacuated homes that may be next.

Also, new pictures from Maine of the damage from this week's nor'easter. These homes were knocked right off their foundations, trees were uprooted, roads buckled, and thousands of people there are still without power.

It's 18 past the hour right now, and Chad Myers is at the CNN weather center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

ROBERTS: In one of the video clips that Cho Seung-Hui mailed to NBC on Monday morning, he blamed an unidentified "you" for what he was about to do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHO SEUNG-HUI, VIRGINIA TECH GUNMAN: You forced me into a corner and gave me only one option. The decision was yours. Now you have blood on your hands that will never wash off.

ROBERTS: How are students reacting to all of these words and images here this morning?

Karan Grewal shared a suite with Cho. Robert Bowman is the managing editor of the campus newspaper, "The Collegiate Times". And they both join us this morning.

Karan, we talked to you a couple of days ago. You gave us a little bit of a profile of Cho Seung-Hui. You said you thought for a while he was a foreign exchange student because he never said anything to you.

Now that you see the guy who was living in the same suite as you, what are you thinking?

KARAN GREWAL, CHO'S FMR. ROOMMATE: He's just a totally different person on those videos. It's just a scary person. Until now, I just thought he was shy and reserved. But it seems like now he just was trying to fool us, trying to put on an act to hide what he was planning the entire year.

ROBERTS: You have seen the videos, the backdrop. Does that look like the inside of a dorm room?

GREWAL: That looks exactly like the inside of our common area. The chair that he's sitting on is the same color and same form as the one in our common area. It's really scary that he was out there while we were in our rooms possibly.

ROBERTS: You've got this homicidal maniac living -- in the common area -- in the suites, it's three rooms and then a common area.

GREWAL: Yes.

ROBERTS: So, you and your other roommate, your other suitemate, are in a couple of those rooms, and you've got this homicidal maniac right across the common area.

Are you now looking back in hindsight to say, oh, my god, what was I living with?

GREWAL: Exactly. It's just a scary feeling that maybe he was sitting out there the entire year trying to figure out our schedule so he could make these videos.

He usually started going to the gym, taking care of his skin, really, maybe just to make these videos. I just thought it was a normal person trying to take care of himself, but he was probably planning this entire year.

ROBERTS: I just can't imagine what's going through your mind right now as you look at all of this.

Robert Bowman, you are the managing editor of "The Collegiate Times" here, a fine newspaper that's done some groundbreaking work here in trying to get this story out there, and the back story of it as well, but you're also a student here. You've got to have mixed emotions.

And as a journalist you know that you have to cover the release of these tapes, but at the same time, as a student, you probably don't ever want them to see the light of day.

ROBERT BOWMAN, MANAGING EDITOR, "THE COLLEGIATE TIMES": That's very true. It's difficult to tell what we -- what we want to uncover and what we don't want to uncover. But, of course, with "The Collegiate Times," our main goal is just getting the information out there, making sure everything is...

ROBERTS: So what's your perspective on all of this?

BOWMAN: It's obviously -- with the tapes, it's obvious that he was just a sick, sick, crazy person. And there's absolutely no debate about that. It's really important, I think, to realize just how great the student body is and how well we're pulling through.

ROBERTS: Right.

And Karan, there was never an indication of this -- I don't want to say Jekyll and Hyde personality, because I don't know how much of a Jekyll there ever was in this guy. But the fact that you had this person living so close to that you. There was just never any indication of what was going on?

GREWAL: No, not the entire year. I just feel really fooled by him that he could put on that face and do this on the side.

ROBERTS: And Robert, one quick question. I mean, when you -- when you look at the paranoid aspect of this, when you look at how disturbed an individual, is your newspaper now going back to ask college officials, how did this guy slip through the cracks?

GREWAL: I think we're beginning to ask questions slowly but surely, as they -- as more information becomes available.

ROBERTS: All right. Well, we'll look forward to continuing coverage of that.

By the way, you know, you can get "The Collegiate Times" online as well. A fine campus newspaper here. They've been doing a great job.

Karan Grewal, Robert Bowman, thanks very much for being with us. Appreciate it -- Kiran.

CHETRY: And John, Virginia's governor now calling for an investigation into Virginia Tech's handling of Monday's massacre.

Coming up, we're going to take a look at what other major universities around the country are doing to keep their campuses safe.

Plus, on the shooter's arm a strange inscription, "Ax Ishmael". We're going to explain what those words could mean.

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Live pictures now from the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

On many of the trees you see ribbons tied around with the school colors, maroon and orange. And there at the drill field, you can see the huge poster board, placards there where people can stop by, leave flowers, and write messages of support and prayer and memories of the victims who lost their lives in this tragedy on Monday.

And all week we have been focused on the tragedy at Virginia Tech, asking the question -- whether or not we can even answer it or not is a different story -- but whether campus police handled it properly or could more have been done? The Virginia Tech police force consists of just 39 officers, as well as 19 staff members. Their duty, to protect and serve more than 26,000 students. AMERICAN MORNING'S Chris Lawrence takes a look at other colleges in similar size to Virginia Tech to see how they keep students safe.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): On Cal State Fullerton's campus, plain clothes and undercover officers patrol 24 hours a day. Each car carries assault rifles. And if one building is attacked, a public address system immediately warns everyone on campus.

LT. TOM GEHRLS, CAL. STATE FULLERTON POLICE: We know if you are hearing the loud speaker, you're in proximity to the incident that is taking place.

LAWRENCE: The school beefed up security after a janitor on campus killed seven people in 1976.

(on camera): Cal State Fullerton is an open campus, except for the dorms, in which you need a smeg magnetic key card to get inside.

(voice over): We contacted other schools across the country the size of Virginia Tech or bigger. Ohio State's 44 officers are armed and go through actual police training. Same with Arizona, and they also carry tasers.

Penn State's officers serve on regional bomb squad teams. Florida State have the most, 63 officers who come armed with guns and tasers.

For emergencies, FSU is installing a new P.A. system. And more than 4,000 subscribers have signed up for Penn State's emergency text message service. In fact, dozens of schools are spending about a dollar per student to allow administrators to alert students through their cell phones.

No schools we spoke to use a lockdown system on classroom doors, including USC. They say there's rarely an emergency to warrant one.

CAPT. DAVID CARLISLE, USC PUBLIC SAFETY: In fact, Los Angeles Police Department would tell you that USC's university park campus is probably the safest 150 acres in all of Los Angeles.

LAWRENCE: So safe, nearby Beverly Hills has a violent crime rate more than twice as high.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHETRY: And we're going to have more of the video that Cho Seung-Hui sent on the day of the Virginia Tech killings. It's now being released. New video this morning coming out.

We're going to bring you more next. Also, "Ax Ishmael," the return address name on the package sent to NBC. And the same words supposedly inscribed on the killer's arm. What do they mean?

New theories coming in just ahead.

You're watching AMERICAN MORNING, the most news in the morning here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Killer on camera. New images just released this mourning from Cho Seung-Hui's disturbing message to the world. Also ahead, new insight into Cho's fourth trip to a psychiatric hospital. All coming up on this AMERICAN MORNING.

And good morning again. It is Thursday, April 19th. We are still broadcasting live from the campus of Virginia Tech here in Blacksburg, Virginia. I'm John Roberts.

CHETRY: And I'm Kiran Chetry in New York. We have been talking all morning. There's really nothing much to say more than just shock and revulsion at seeing the new video and getting a chance to hear the rantings of this person who turned out to be a mass murder.

ROBERTS: And I can tell you one thing, Kiran, as we are picking up more and more here on the campus of Virginia Tech and in the surrounding community that the outrage factor is growing exponentially, The fact that these materials are out there, and that Cho has got a platform for his hatred and venomous speech. There are people here who don't want that material out there, and they are increasingly making their opinions known.

CHETRY: Right, and actually we're going to be talking about that with Alina Cho in just a couple of minutes because the online blogs as well are fiery when it comes to people being very upset by this being out there. At the same token what can be learned, and that's something that will be talked about as well today and how this could help the police investigation and perhaps a window into preventing future attacks like this.

But meantime, the new video has been released this morning of the gunman. NBC releasing more clips within the last couple of hours, including this one, apparently taken between the killings. He sent the package of video and images to NBC's headquarters in New York. It arrived yesterday.

And AMERICAN MORNING's Alina Cho joins me now with the very latest on the tapes.

So they did -- they said it was a huge amount to go through, so they released a lot yesterday and then more this morning.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, it trickled out last night and this morning, really chilling as you mentioned, Kiran. That package containing 28 videos, 43 still photos, and a 23-page document that included an 1,800-word diatribe was sent to NBC News headquarters in New York. And this morning on the "Today" show the network released more video clips made by the killer, Cho Seung-Hui.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHO SEUNG-HUI: This is it. This is where it all ends. End of the road. What a life it was. Some life.

Did you think I wanted to do this? Do you think I ever dreamed of dying like this? In a million years, I didn't want to do this.

You have vandalized my heart, raped my soul and torched my conscience. You thought it was one pathetic boy's life you were extinguishing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: It appears as though Cho made the video himself. NBC is reporting that the computer disk containing the files was actually made on the day of the shooting. In the photos, Cho was smiling in only two of them. The rest show him carrying the two guns he presumably used in the attacks, a knife that he held at his throat, even ammunition. In the rambling video message, Cho talked about his hatred of the wealthy with their fancy cars, golden necklaces and trust funds. He praised Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the Columbine killers, and he also made religious references. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHO SEUNG-HUI: Like Moses I split the sea and I lead my people, the weak, the defenseless, the innocent children of all ages.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: And so as more of the tapes are released it seems the outrage is growing. And even on the blogs, on MSNBC's own blog, there are a lot of people saying this is exactly what he wanted, he wanted to be glorified in death, and it's very upsetting for anyone involved to have to hear the voice of this killer. So a lot of anger on the part of NBC and the other -- all of us for airing the tapes that have come out.

CHO: Yes. I mean, NBC made it clear they were not willing participants in terms of being part of the story. Of course everyone is covering it.

But this morning the network made the decision to release the information, they said, with great care. They took time doing it. What they've shown is only a small percentage of the total file.

Also worth mentioning, the anchors spent time explaining why they chose to release Cho's words and photos. They say they hope it will help all of us better understand why the killer did what he did. Obviously there is a lot of raw emotion, a lot of sadness. about this, and Everybody wants to know why. They want answers. It's going to be a while before we know the why, if ever. CHETRY: And the curiosity factor can't be forgotten. There's been millions of hits, right, on the Internet, of people wanting to see this.

CHO: Oh, right here on CNN.com, that's right. And a lot of anger. The protests you mentioned now, that are just coming across on the blogs.

You know, I can tell you from watching NBC this morning that interesting to note that the anchors said, actually, that they had planned to talk to the families of the victims, but those families actually canceled their appearance this morning because they were so angry at NBC for releasing the video and the photos.

CHETRY: Yes, there no doubt is a backlash to the release of these.

Alina Cho, thanks so much.

And the words "ax ismail," John. A lot of people asking about that right now. What did it mean? And why were those words inscribed on the killer's arm?

ROBERTS: Yes. You know, as we try to peel back the layers of the onion here to try to understand how something like this happened, in hopes that future events might be able to be prevented. If you look to all aspects of Cho's life, you look to signals, you look to symbolgy as well. The words "ax ismail" were found on the return address of that package to NBC. They also were said to have been written on Cho's arm. What do they mean? What do they come from?

CNN's Tom Foreman takes a look at "ax ismail" and just what it might mean.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The package sent to NBC bears the return address A. Ishmail. Sources close to the investigation tell CNN the words "ax ismail" were written on Cho's arm. Publicly investigators not talking about it, let alone what it might mean.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am not aware. I haven't gone back to confirm whether that's true or not. So at this particular point in time, I don't know.

FOREMAN: Ishmael is a major character in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. In the video sent to NBC, Cho talks at length about religion. People who know them say his family is associated with the Christian church. Ishmael was the son of the prophet Abraham, a prominent character in the Old Testament. "He will be a wild donkey of a man," Genesis says of Ishmael. "His hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand will be against him."

As an English major, Cho could have encountered ishmael in other places, too. Ishmael is the storyteller in the obsessive tale of "Moby Dick," the name of a wise gorilla in a popular series of inspirational books, and in a love poem by the 1960s writer Drum Hadley, traces of Ismail's ax appear on the trees. Cho studied poetry. The puzzle of those words on his arm, however, may itself be a clue.

DR. GREGORY EELS, DIR., CORNELL STUDENT COUNSELING: The fact that we don't know what it is is a sign he is not connected with the rest of humanity, other people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR: Who the hell else are you talking to? You talking to me?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN: Criminologists say like the fictional character Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver," people violently breaking with reality often drastically change their appearance. Cho's roommates say, and the NBC pictures now confirm, he was lifting weights and had his hair cut very short right before the shootings. Those cryptic words on his body may have been another part of his metamorphosis, according to Dr. N.G. Berrill, a forensic psychologist.

N.G. BERRILL, FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST: There's a transformation that takes place between living a life of quiet desperation, discontent, rage, and making the determination, a decision, that you're going to go forward and really do this thing.

FOREMAN: The true meaning of "ax ismail" may never be known, but it seems clear, Cho was going through a deadly transformation.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: If there is anything that bloggers and other Web denizens like it's a mystery. CNN's Jacki Schechner is keeping an eye on the "ax ismail" angle online from our Washington bureau.

Jacki, what are you finding out this morning?

JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the words originally leaked online juxtaposed as "ismail ax," and that's been one of the top searches on Technorati, a blog search engine, actually for the past few days.

Now the top assumption is what Tom mentioned, that this is perhaps a religious reference of some sort. There's also plenty of talk about Ishmael, the main character in "Moby Dick."

Another literary reference we're finding a lot of people bringing up online is a 19th century book by a woman named E.D.E. N. Southworth, and this is about a poor boy growing up in an area outside of what is now D.C. And of courser we know that Cho was raised in an area outside of D.C. and he was an English major. Again, if you type in ishmael.com on the Internet it will bring up the Daniel Quinn series of books, this one titled "Ishmael We."

have seen all sorts of other theories, that perhaps he was an online gamer, and that Ishmael Ax or Ax Ishmael was his online gaming nickname. We've seen people wondering if he perhaps misspelled the name of a Turkish singer who goes by the name Ismail Y-K, instead of Ismail A-X. So all sorts of speculation in trying to figure out what this could possibly be -- John.

ROBERTS: I certainly don't know what a Turkish would have to do with it.

Then what about this "Old Boy" angle, Jacki, this movie that's very popular among some university students? What can you tell us about that.

SCHECHNER: This is actually really fascinating. It's a 2003 film called "Old Boy." It's a South Korean film, and it's about a businessman who gets imprisoned and then let go, and he goes on a bloody rampage of revenge, and some people are pointing out an eerie similarity between some pictures in this film and some of the images that Cho sent NBC News.

You can see here an image of a character wielding a hammer. And then one of the images that Cho took of himself, or that was taken of him. Another image from the film, and then another image of Cho. So you can see the similarities there, and that of course is lending itself to people to speculate whether or not he has actually seen the film. We don't know if he has, and whether these images were a copy of that, if he had seen from the film at some point -- John.

ROBERTS: Boy, if they are, it would be a copycat killing on two levels.

Jacki Schechner, thanks very much.

We're going to hear from postal inspectors in the next hour at a 9:30 news conference -- Kiran.

CHETRY: All right. We will of course carry that for you here on CNN. Also coming up, the tragedy turning into controversy on "American Idol." All of it surrounding the villain judge Simon Cowell. Did he diss the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre? We're going to tell you what Fox is saying. We're going show you the video and we're going to hear from Simon about what he says really happened.

You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Pictures of the candle light vigil from Tuesday night, as well as other makeshift memorials around the Virginia Tech campus as people reach out to the victims of this terrible, terrible tragedy and express their condolences and their own sense of grief. Many students who'd ordinarily be studying for finals or looking forward to graduation are instead back home with families this week, far flung across this country.

The ones, though, who are still here are taking comfort in one another. There's a real sense of community here on the campus of Virginia Tech. They're also taking comfort in a memorial born out of the heart break.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: They have become the new center of gravity at Virginia Tech, 16 white poster boards that stand within sight of Norris Hall, where 30 people lost their lives. It is, in many ways, a living memorial. Mourners write, they read, they remember, they grieve. "I'm glad I hugged you at our last practice," one girl writes. Jerema Semaha (ph), an urban-planning student with a passion for dancing. "You were the best sister a girl could ask for, and Heaven is lucky to have you. I love you." That message to Caitlin Hammaren (ph), only 19 years old, majoring in international studies and French.

TRACY ALITZER, MOURNER: It's kind of hard to live in the community and be a part of the community and not be touched by this somehow.

ROBERTS: Tracy Alitzer and her daughter, Kaelie, live down the street from professor G.V. Loganathan. Loganathan, who taught and environmental engineering, died in Norris Hall on Monday. Kaelie is friends with Loganathan's daughter, now coping with the loss of her dad.

KAELIE ALITZER, MOURNER: On Monday when she found out, she was really sad. And her sister flew in from (INAUDIBLE) from from UVA (ph), and so she is (INAUDIBLE). And their mom is taking a lot harder than (INAUDIBLE) is taking it.

ROBERTS: The messages, notes, photos and flowers, are all a chance for mourners to express emotions in a tangible and public way. The words are there for all to see. Just reading them moves many to tears.

It is far too early to think about healing here, but this coming together, this collective convulsion of grief is the first step on a difficult path to recovery.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From death and evil comes good. You are all in a higher place.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: And, Kiran, it was just a stroke of sheer genius to put those 16 boards out there for people to be able to express grief on. And that was an idea that came from the students themselves. They said we have to have an outlet here. How can we do it? Somebody came up with this fantastic idea. They were expecting rain here today, so they moved those boards under a tent, but they're still open for people to come by. But I've got to tell you, though, even after being up there for just a day and a half, there is barely a space where you can write anything.

CHETRY: And I remember that after 9/11 as well, when a lot of people took comfort in the words, the thoughts and the prayers of others who were grieving as well.

John, thanks.

And "CNN NEWSROOM" is just minutes away right now. Tony Harris at the CNN Center with a look at what's ahead.

Hi, Tony.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Kiran, good morning to you. We have got these stories on the NEWSROOM rundown for you. You see the chilling video left behind by Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung-Hui. Plus a live a update from police at the of the hour live right here in the NEWSROOM. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales fighting for his job this morning. He is in front of a Senate committee next hour to explain the firings of eight federal prosecutors. We'll have that for you live in the NEWSROOM.

Baghdad burying its dead today. Almost 200 people lose their lives in a day of horrific violence. Join Heidi Collins and me in the NEWSROOM. We get started at the top of the hour right here on CNN.

Kiran, back to you.

And the defense chief there in Baghdad as well, a surprise visit.

HARRIS: That's right.

CHETRY: So it'll be interesting to see what he says to the...

HARRIS: We'll be following for you, Kiran.

CHETRY: Tony, thanks so much. We'll be watching.

Well, "American Idol's" Simon Cowell has some explaining to do. He's actually at the center of a controversy, accused of disrespecting the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy.

Coming up, you can check out the video to see if you think he did. We're also going to hear from Simon to explain himself. That's coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

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CHETRY: Let's think of some words to describe Simon Cowell. Well, warm, sensitive and supportive, none of those really come to mind when you think of him, but his apparently annoyed reaction to an "American Idol" contestant who expressed condolences about the Virginia Tech tragedy has a lot of people fired up. Let's check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our hearts and prayers go out to Virginia Tech. I have a lot of friends over there, and I just -- be strong.

RYAN SEACREST: Yes, well said. Absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Entertainment correspondent Brooke Anderson is here with us in New York. Thanks for being here. It's great to see you, by the way. Simon had that type of reaction. And many of them said it's because they felt that he was trying to deflect some of the criticism of himself by bringing up Virginia Tech, and I think Simon may have thought it was a cheap shot, but people are angry.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: People are angry, and Fox and Simon are very concerned that people are angry, that people are upset, understandably, by his reaction. Because let's face it, it looked horrible, at that particular moment, him rolling his eyes. But Fox and Simon Cowell both say it was just misinterpreted. In fact he did address the situation last night on "American Idol." Should we take a look at it?

CHETRY: Yes, let's do that.

ANDERSON: Yes, let's do that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON COWELL: I just want to absolutely set the record straight. I didn't hear what Chris was saying. I may not be the nicest person in the world, but I would never ever, ever, ever disrespect those families or those victims. And I felt it was important to set the record straight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: I believe him, Kiran. You know, he's severely critical. He's a caustic judge. That's why a lot people love him, but I've met him. He could not be that cruel and that insensitive to this tragedy, I don't think.

I think it was just a misunderstanding; everyone misinterpreted it. And also the executive producer of "American Idol" also felt compelled to offer some clarification. He told CNN -- quote -- "Simon was not reacting to Chris at that point. He had turned to speak to Paula and didn't actually hear Chris's final comments. Everyone at 'American idol' feels compassion for those effected by this tragedy."

CHETRY: It's weird, though, because there was a little bit of a different reaction. At first the Fox executives said that he was reacting to what he felt was Chris trying to deflect the criticism, then they changed it to he didn't hear it. So that's kind of curious. ANDERSON: Well, maybe they weren't really clear on exactly what was going on. But you see Simon all the time ignoring the contestants, talking, having some chit-chat with his fellow judges. So maybe in the end it's a big lesson for Simon -- you know, don't ignore the contestants. listen to what they have to say, respect them, because if you don't, things like this could happen.

CHETRY: That's true. And that's a face you see on Simon a lot actually. That's sort of almost his normal face.

ANDERSON: Exactly, at least once or twice a show he probably rolls his eyes.

CHETRY: Brooke Anderson, great to see you in New York, by the way.

ANDERSON: Thanks, Kiran.

CHETRY: Thanks for being here.

Well, here's a look at what "CNN NEWSROOM" is working on at the top of the hour.

HARRIS: See these stories in the "CNN NEWSROOM": Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung-Hui's final words. See and hear his disturbing videos.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Capitol Hill, under oath, fighting for his job, live coverage when he testifies next hour about the fired prosecutor.

New attacks rattle Baghdad as the city buries its dead. Around 200 killed in a day of carnage Wednesday.

NEWSROOM at the top of the hour on CNN.

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