Shooter plotted in silent rage

Two of Cho's plays, which Derry vividly recalled, have been posted online. In one, three students trade vicious, scatological banter about killing their teacher. In the other, a boy accuses his stepfather, Richard McBeef, of killing his father. "I hate him," he says. "Must kill Dick. Must kill Dick. Dick must die." The play ends wordlessly, with stage directions: "(Out of sheer desecrated hurt and anger, Richard lifts his large arms and swings a deadly blow at the thirteen year old boy.)"

Another student in the dorm suite, Karan Grewal, 21, also said he found Cho a mysterious figure. He said Cho would type on his laptop and rarely acknowledge the others in their shared living room.

Grewal said he greeted Cho twice but got no response; he stopped trying to be friendly. "He really just sat there and didn't say anything," he said. "We all talked to each other, except for him."

Grewal stayed up all night Sunday to study and was in the suite's shared bathroom at about 5:30 a.m. Monday when he noticed Cho was already up and dressing. He was wearing boxer shorts and a T-shirt.

"He was, like, normal," Grewal said.

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richard.serrano@latimes.com

bob.drogin@latimes.com

david.zucchino@latimes.com

Serrano and Drogin reported from Washington, Zucchino from Blacksburg. Staff writers Richard Fausset, Erika Hayasaki, Josh Meyer, Greg Miller and Richard B. Schmitt contributed to this report.