WashPost:Va. Tech Panel to Study 'Entire Event'[

[K-Romulus]

It will be interesting to see what comes of this . . .

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/01/AR2007050101251_pf.html

Va. Tech Panel to Study 'Entire Event'
Investigators Will Scrutinize Gun Control, Mental Health Policy

By Tim Craig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 1, 2007; 4:34 PM

RICHMOND, May 1 -- Retired Virginia State Police superintendent W. Gerald Massengill said today that the panel looking into the massacre at Virginia Tech will examine the "entire event," including such potentially volatile issues as "the process for obtaining a firearm."

Massengill, the chairman of the eight-member commission, said the first meeting will be May 10 in Richmond. The panel is seeking to answer how and why Seung Hui Cho slaughtered 32 people and himself on April 16.

While the commission's full agenda won't be determined until after its first meeting, Massengill unveiled an outline of what he hopes panel members can accomplish.

He said the commission will scrutinize the state's mental health system, review the police response to the shooting and explore gun control issues, including whether students should be allowed to carry firearms on college campuses.

By agreeing to look into how Cho obtained weapons and whether students on campus should be allowed to carry guns, Massengill appears ready to explore the divisive issue of whether Virginia has stringent enough controls on the sale of firearms.

"I am calling it a comprehensive case study. The bottom line is we will be taking an in depth look at the entire incident," said Massengill, who wants the commission's findings to become a "template and a model" for colleges and governments across the country.

Massengill stressed the investigation may be slowed by privacy laws. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), who appointed the panel, had said he wanted the panel's recommendations by the fall so colleges can use the information in the upcoming school year.

Massengill told Kaine today that the panel will provide preliminary recommendations in August, but a final report may not be completed until later in the year. The panel includes specialists in psychology, law, forensics and higher education, as well as former U.S. homeland security secretary Tom Ridge.

Massengill, who oversaw the inquiry into Virginia's response to the Washington area sniper shootings in 2002, also announced the panel will be setting up a Web site and a mailing address so the public can send their comments.