Who Is Seung-Hui Cho? Age, Biography and Wiki
Seung-Hui Cho was born on January 18, 1984, in Seoul, South Korea. He moved to the United States with his family during his childhood, eventually settling in Virginia. Cho is notorious for committing one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history at Virginia Tech in 2007, resulting in 32 fatalities. His troubled background and mental health issues have been extensively analyzed, raising discussions on gun control, mental health awareness, and campus safety.
As of 2025, Cho would have been 41 years old if he had lived past the tragic events that defined his life. His biography remains a subject of contemplation and analysis, focusing on the factors that led to his violent actions.
| Occupation | Criminals |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | January 18, 1984 |
| Age | 23 Years |
| Birth Place | Asan, South Korea |
| Horoscope | Capricorn |
| Country | South Korea |
| Date of death | 16 April, 2007 |
| Died Place | N/A |
Popularity
Seung-Hui Cho's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific details regarding Seung-Hui Cho's physical stature can vary, he was reported to be around 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) tall and weighed approximately 120 pounds (54 kg) at the time of his death. Unfortunately, due to the nature of his actions, physical attributes largely fade to the background when discussing his legacy.
The name of the sender on the package according to NBC News was "A. Ishmael" (or "Ismael" according to The New York Times ). According to NBC News, the words "Ismail Ax" (or "Ismail-Ax" in red ink according to ABC News, "Ismail Ax" in red ink according to The Times ) were scrawled on one of Cho's arms.
It was reported a few days after the package was received that "the Internet is abuzz with speculation about the meaning of the phrase 'Ismail Ax' on Cho's arm, 'A. Ishmael' on the package and 'axishmiel' on [a] file [contained in the package sent to NBC]".
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Cho's family life was reportedly strained, marked by his struggle with mental illness and his feeling of alienation from peers. There is little known about any romantic relationships he may have had. Reports indicate that he was socially withdrawn and had difficulty forming connections with others, which might have contributed to his troubled psyche.
Cho and his family lived in a basement apartment in the city of Seoul for a few years before immigrating to the United States. Cho's father was self-employed as a bookstore owner, but made minimal profits from the venture.
Seeking better education and opportunities for his son and daughter, Cho's father immigrated to the United States with his family in 1992, when Cho was eight years old. The family lived in Detroit, then moved to the Washington metropolitan area after learning that it had one of the largest South Korean expatriate communities in the U.S.
Cho's family settled in Centreville, an unincorporated community in western Fairfax County, Virginia, west of Washington, D.C. Cho's father and mother opened a dry-cleaning business. After they moved to Centreville, Cho and his family became permanent residents of the United States as South Korean nationals.
His parents became members of a local Christian church, and Cho was raised as a member of the religion, although in a note Cho "railed against his parents' strong Christian faith."
Net Worth and Salary
Due to the circumstances surrounding Cho's life, particularly his criminal actions, any discussion of net worth is largely irrelevant, as he did not have a sustainable career prior to the events at Virginia Tech. After his acts, there have been no earnings or salaries associated with him.
Career, Business and Investments
Seung-Hui Cho was a student at Virginia Tech at the time of his tragic acts. He had aspirations of being a writer and was known to have penned various works that reflected his disturbed mental state. His infamy has overshadowed any potential career he may have had, ending with the horrific events of April 16, 2007.
In his freshman year at Virginia Tech in 2003, Cho enrolled as an undergraduate major in business information technology. By his senior year, Cho was majoring in English, intending to become a writer. At the time of the attacks, Cho lived with five roommates in a three-bedroom suite in Harper Hall.
Social Network
In the context of social networks, Cho's online presence was limited. His behavior suggested significant social withdrawal, and he was not known to actively engage in social media platforms. This lack of connection further isolated him from others, which has been a subject of research in understanding behavioral patterns leading to such violent actions.
Cho's older sister prepared a statement on her family's behalf to apologize publicly for her brother's actions, in addition to lending prayers to the victims and the families of the wounded and killed victims. "This is someone that I grew up with and loved.
Now I feel like I didn't know this person," she said in the statement issued through a North Carolinian attorney. "We never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence." Cho's grandfather stated, "My grandson Seung-Hui was very shy. I can't believe he did such a thing."
Education
Cho was a student at Virginia Tech, where he pursued a degree in English. His academic performance was described as uneven, and he faced significant challenges in expressing himself both verbally and in writing. The university’s mental health services were eventually involved due to his alarming behavior before the shooting occurred—demonstrating a critical aspect of his educational journey and the support systems that failed him.
Cho Seung-hui (January 18, 1984 – April 16, 2007), anglicized as Seung-Hui Cho, was a South Korean mass murderer who was responsible for the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007. Cho killed 32 people and wounded 17 others with two semi-automatic pistols on April 16, 2007, at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
This killing is the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, and was at the time the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
A senior-level undergraduate student of creative writing at the university, Cho died by suicide after police breached the doors of Virginia Tech's Norris Hall which Cho had locked with heavy chains, where most of the shooting had taken place.
