Gunman sent package to NBC News

Little investigative value
“While there was some marginal value to the package we received, the fact of the matter is ... the package merely confirms what we already knew,” Col. Steven Flaherty, superintendent of Virginia State Police, the lead agency investigating the shootings, said in a brief statement Thursday.

Flaherty said he appreciated NBC’s cooperation with investigators, but he said he was “rather disappointed in the editorial decision to broadcast these disturbing images.”

“I’m sorry that you were all exposed to these images,” he said.

Capus said Thursday that he understood that many people would disagree with his decision, acknowledging that “there is no way to look at without being profoundly upset, and it is incredibly disturbing.”

“Ever since we heard the first reports about what happened on that campus, we all wanted to know — and I’m not sure we’ll ever fully understand — why this happened, but I do think this is as close as we’ll come to having a glimpse inside the mind of a killer,” he said on NBC’s TODAY program.

But Capus’ decision to broadcast some of the material on air and to publish it on MSNBC.com came under intense scrutiny.

An   MSNBC.com message board was inundated with more than 1,200 postings in less than 12 hours. Some of the response praising the network for bringing Cho’s mental illness graphically to light, but most castigated NBC for seeming to give Cho the attention he wanted.  

“I find it offensive and irresponsible that the media is posting the final video of the VT killer,” said one post Thursday morning. “The publicity of this video and the infamy being granted to this individual will very likely inspire ‘copycat’ killers who want the notoriety and fame.”

In Blacksburg, where they were scheduled to be interviewed Thursday morning, Michael and Peggy Herbstritt, the parents of Jeremy Herbstritt, who died in Monday’s shootings, canceled an appearance on NBC’s TODAY show after the material was aired.

Capus said he understood that many people would disagree with his decision, acknowledging that “there is no way to look at without being profoundly upset, and it is incredibly disturbing.” But he said he had a responsibility as a journalist to bring it to light.

“Ever since we heard the first reports about what happened on that campus, we all wanted to know — and I’m not sure we’ll ever fully understand — why this happened, but I do think this is as close as we’ll come to having a glimpse inside the mind of a killer,” he said Thursday morning on TODAY.

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