(President George W Bush and first lady Laura Bush were to attend a memorial service at Virginia Tech later on Tuesday, Reuters reported. Television images of terrified students and police dragging out bloody victims revived memories of the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 and were likely to renew heated debate about America’s gun laws.)

In Centerville, Cho’s family lived in a small, two-level townhouse in an upper-middle-class development. Coincidentally, one of the victims lived less than a mile from the Cho family home.

The yellow aluminium-sided home was shuttered and police said they had removed the family from their home last night.

Outside the home, a local postman, Rod Wells, said that the family was “very quiet, very polite. They always had a smile on their face. I know they are a nice family. They have been very good to me.”

Cho was a 2003 graduate of Westfield High School in Clifton, Virginia. Officials of the Fairfax County Public Schools said other graduates from its schools might have been among those killed or injured in Monday’s shooting.

“He was very quiet, always by himself,” Abdul Shash, a neighbour, said of Cho, according to The Associated Press.

Shash said Cho spent a lot of his free time playing basketball, and wouldn’t respond if someone greeted him. He described the family as quiet.

Marshall Main, who lives across the street, told AP that the family had lived in the townhouse for several years.

Earlier this morning, a single spent long-rifle shell was discovered on the sidewalk near the entrance to the house. After the discovery, by news cameramen, police immediately moved reporters back and took the round away for investigation.

... contd.