Seung-Hui Cho , an undergraduate student at the university and a U.S. resident of South Korean origin , shot Use_firearm and killed Killing 32 people and wounded Bodily_harm 17 others with two semi-automatic pistols .

Six others were injured Bodily_harm jumping out of windows to escape Escaping Cho .

As police stormed Catastrophe Norris Hall , Cho committed Killing suicide Killing by shooting Use_firearm himself in the head .

Cho had previously been diagnosed Check with a severe anxiety disorder .

After graduating Education_teaching from high school , Cho enrolled Becoming_a_member at Virginia Tech .

Because of federal privacy laws , Virginia Tech was unaware of Cho 's previous diagnosis or the accommodations he had been granted Giving at school .

In 2005 , Cho was accused Judgment_communication of stalking Self_motion two female students .

After an investigation Criminal_investigation , a Virginia special justice declared Expressing_publicly Cho mentally ill and ordered Request him to attend Participation treatment ; however , because he was not institutionalized Institutionalization , he was still allowed Preventing_or_letting to purchase Commerce_buy guns .

The panel 's report Reporting also reviewed gun laws and pointed out Reporting gaps in mental health care as well as privacy laws that left Causation Cho 's deteriorating condition untreated when he was a student at Virginia Tech .

Cultural events included concerts Social_event and performances by Cyndi Lauper , Margaret Cho , Megan Mullally , and others added Cause_change_of_position_on_a_scale to the festival 's feel and charm .