Kaine to Conduct Full 'After-Action' Review
By Michael D. Shear and William Branigin
Washington Post Staff Writers
Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) pledged today to form an independent "assessment team" of law enforcement experts to carry out a thorough "after-action review" of yesterday's Virginia Tech shootings and authorities' response to them.
In a news conference after attending a convocation on the university's Blacksburg campus, Kaine said the review would address criticism that authorities did not act quickly enough to alert students to a dangerous situation and may have dismissed possible early warning signs that the shooter, Cho Seung Hui, was a disturbed young man.
"As is customary . . . there will be a thorough after-action report of the event and the response," Kaine told reporters. University officials have asked him to appoint "independent law enforcement expertise to assist in that effort," he said, adding that he plans to name members of the review team in the next 48 hours.
Asked about reports that English professors had raised alarms about "disturbing" passages in some of Cho's written work, Kaine said the panel would look into such matters as part of its review.
"The idea is to . . . learn what we could do differently," he said.
Kaine also expressed "loathing" for those he said were trying to use the tragedy as a "political hobby horse" or for "some sort of little crusade."
At the same news conference, Col. Steve Flaherty of the Virginia State Police said the weapons Cho used had been legally purchased by him "in accordance with Virginia law."
He said there was no evidence that Cho "left behind any kind of suicide note." But he said investigators were evaluating documents seized from the gunman's dormitory room to determine "if there is some evidentiary value." As investigators continued to probe the background of the shooter, a 23-year-old loner who committed suicide after carrying out the killings, details of possible warning signs began to emerge.
By Liz Heron |
April 17, 2007; 7:31 PM ET
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