By ADAM GELLER
The ASSOCIATED PRESS
BLACKSBURG, Va. — The gunman blamed for the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history had previously been accused of stalking two female students and had been taken to a mental health facility in 2005 after his parents worried he might be suicidal, police said Wednesday.
Cho Seung-Hui had concerned one woman enough with his calls and e-mail in 2005 that police were called in, said Police Chief Wendell Flinchum.
He said the woman declined to press charges and Cho was referred to the university disciplinary system. During one of those incidents, both in late 2005, the department received a call from Cho’s parents who were concerned that he might be suicidal, and he was taken to a mental health facility, he said.
Flinchum said he knew of no other police incidents involving Cho until the deadly shootings Monday, first at a girl’s dorm room and then a classroom building across campus. Neither of the stalking victims was among the victims Monday.
Campus police on Wednesday applied for search warrants for all of Cho’s medical records from the Schiffert Health Center on campus and New River Community Services in Blacksburg.
“It is reasonable to believe that the medical records may provide evidence of motive, intent and designs,” investigators wrote in the documents.
Police searched Cho’s door room on Tuesday and recovered, among other items, a chain and combination lock, according to documents filed Wednesday; the front doors of Norris Hall had been chained shut from the inside during the shooting rampage.
Other items seized include a folding knife; two computers, a hard disk and other computer disks; documents, books, notebooks and other writings; a digital camera, CDs and two Dremel tools.