Virginia Tech shooting raises immigration concerns?

Below is a letter I wrote to Time Magazine-

In this day and age of high conflict surrounding immigration, what purpose does it serve to continuously point out that the shooter in the Virginia Tech Massacre was an immigrant? These inflammatory comments aimed at attracting an audience neither add nor detract from the facts of the case.

Cho Seung-hui, as has been reported by multiple media outlets, immigrated to this country at the age of 7. At the time of his death, he had spent more than a third of his life in America and had been raised and educated in the American system for the whole of his life. His national origin plays absolutely no part in his decision to commit this hideous act. From the limited information released thus far, one can deduct that this individual was severely depressed and troubled, that many people around him noticed this and that none of them took action to help him.

His English professor, who has so valiantly come on television to describe her interaction with this person, did nothing to get him to help. She stated that, through his writings, she believed him to be a dangerous person and that it was her duty as the Department Chair to take him aside and speak to him. She feels sorry that he did not take her advice and sought help. During the interview, the reporter mentioned that “no one could force him” to seek aid. This is untrue. Every state has laws aimed at protecting their citizens from those who will cause harm, even to themselves. In most cases, contacting Law Enforcement and providing evidence that this individual poses a risk, in this case the very violent writings and his demeanor could have prompted a court order for a psychiatric evaluation.

Rather than focusing on his nationality, why not focus on the multitude of individuals who failed him and ultimately caused him to feel that life was not just unworthy of living, but it was so lacking in value that he would take so many. What about focusing on his life and what brought him to this point? We have seen numerous reports on the lives of the victims, yet, we know very little about the life of the shooter or what may have prompted him to do this. All we know is that he was a Korean immigrant. He may have been an inhabitant of the planet Zork and come to live here illegally at the bottom of the ocean; however that was not the reason for his actions.