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Ridge: Shooting 'Probably Not' Preventable Poll: Gun Violence Troubles More Women Cho Shouldn't Have Had Guns, Law Says

Silence fell across the Virginia Tech campus and other sites nationwide at noon Friday as bells rang out in memory of the 32 victims of Monday's shootings, and the gunman's family expressed grief over the massacre.

Cho Seung-Hui's family told The Associated Press on Friday that they "never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence."

"Our family is so very sorry for my brother's unspeakable actions. It is a terrible tragedy for all of us," said Cho's sister, Sun-Kyung Cho, on behalf of her family.

"We pray for their families and loved ones who are experiencing so much excruciating grief. And we pray for those who were injured and for those whose lives are changed forever because of what they witnessed and experienced," she said.

"Each of these people had so much love, talent and gifts to offer, and their lives were cut short by a horrible and senseless act."

Cho's sister works as a contractor for a State Department office that oversees billions of dollars in American aid for Iraq.

"He has made the world weep. We are living a nightmare," she said.

At a memorial in front of Virginia Tech's Norris Hall, where most of the victims died, hundreds of mourners, many clad in the school's maroon and orange, stood with their heads bowed as bells tolled.

Along with the bouquets and candles a yellow sign covered in maroon and orange handprints, read "Never forgotten." One mourner said, "With this evil, there is still goodness."

The mourners gathered in front of 33 simple stone memorials, one for each victim and one for the gunman who took their lives. One mourner said, "His family is suffering just as much as the other families."

In Richmond, several thousand people jammed a park at Virginia Commonwealth University as a church bell tolled 32 times. Many people bowed their heads as tears flowed.

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine spoke about the hope, strength and optimism that Virginia Tech students showed in the aftermath of Monday's events.

"I was struck by, in the midst of this horrible day, how the students talking to the press expressed the love of the students and their school," Kaine said at a memorial service in Richmond park. "Strength and unity would not be one of the victims."

Kaine spoke about the "universality of grief," and said that "we all suffer, we all grieve. There is no escape from that for any of us."

Kaine said that ceremonies like the one he was at in Richmond were taking part in at least 40 other states after Kaine declared a day of mourning.

President George W. Bush is wearing an orange and maroon tie Friday in a show of support.

The White House said Bush has asked top officials at the departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, and Education to put together a report on how to prevent similar tragedies. They're being told to travel the country, and talk to educators, mental health experts and others.

Ridge: Shooting 'Probably Not' Preventable

Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge said he doesn't think the massacre at Virginia Tech could have been prevented. But he hopes an investigation into the tragedy will find ways to reduce the risk in the future.

Ridge is among those who will be conducting the investigation at the request of Gov. Kaine.

Ridge told CBS' "The Early Show" there are lessons to be learned from this "national tragedy." But he said the last thing anyone wants to do is turn universities and public places into "armed fortresses."

There were plenty of signs that Cho was deeply disturbed. And there have been complaints the university didn't do enough to warn students after the first victims were killed on Monday.

Two hours after two students were shot to death in a dorm, Cho stormed a classroom building, killing 30 students and teachers before turning the gun on himself.

Poll: Gun Violence Troubles More Women

A new AP-Ipsos poll finds that the Virginia Tech shootings have left more women than men troubled by gun violence and favoring tighter firearms laws.

But overall, most Americans express little concern they might become a gun crime victim.

Minorities and city residents showed greater worry about gun crimes and a higher preference for stricter gun controls. That's according to the survey, which was taken after Monday's rampage in Blacksburg that left 33 people dead, including the gunman.

Women were nearly twice as likely as men to say gun laws should be tightened. Overall, 47 percent of people want stricter gun controls, 38 percent say they should stay the same and 11 percent want looser restrictions -- little change from earlier surveys.

Nine in 10 people said gun violence is a serious problem in the U.S., but two-thirds say they seldom if ever worry they might face a gun crime.

Women, minorities and urban residents were also likelier to worry about becoming victims of gun violence.

The poll of 996 adults, conducted Tuesday through Thursday, has a margin of sampling error of plus-or-minus three percentage points.

Cho Shouldn't Have Had Guns, Law Says

Federal gun regulations suggest that a judge's ruling on the mental health of the Virginia Tech gunman should have barred the man from buying the handguns used in the massacre.

Cho's two gun purchases were subject to federal and state background checks, which turned up no problems. That happened even though a judge ruled in December 2005 that Cho "presents an imminent danger to himself as a result of mental illness." The judge ordered outpatient treatment.

Federal regulations bar the sale of guns to individuals who have been judged "mentally defective," including people who pose a danger to themselves.

But Virginia's standard is slightly different. State police said the sales would have been barred under state law only if the judge had committed Cho to a psychiatric hospital.

One of Cho's guns, a Walther .22 caliber, was bought from a Green Bay, Wis. Internet-only gun store.

Eric Thompson, the owner of gunsource.com, said Cho bought the gun on Feb. 2. It was mailed on Feb. 5 and Cho picked it up from a Virginia pawnbroker on Feb. 9.

Police Check Tie Between Cho, Victim

Police are trying to determine if the Virginia Tech gunman tried to contact the first shooting victim before Monday's rampage.

Virginia Tech police filed a search warrant yesterday for the laptop and cell phone of Emily Jane Hilscher, one of the two students that Cho killed in his first attack Monday, at West Ambler Johnston Hall.

But the warrants don't list any basis for a belief that Cho had actually been in contact with Hilscher, who was a 19-year-old freshman from Woodville, Va.

The warrant said "The computer would be one way the suspect could have communicated with the victim."

Also, police returned the search warrant for the home of Hilscher's boyfriend, who they initially believed might have been involved in the shooting. They recovered nothing.

Virginia State Police said they have closed their investigation scene on the campus of Virginia Tech. Now their effort will move toward trying to learn more about what happened and why the gunman went on a shooting rampage.

New information has also surfaced about the FBI investigation into the package sent to NBC News by the shooter. According to a statement posted on the Virginia Tech Web site, "The vast majority of evidence collected from the mailing already existed in the FBI investigation."

It "simply confirmed much of what law enforcement already knew," according to the statement.

Meanwhile, investigators have also identified, located and processed a vehicle associated with the shooter. It's not clear how the car was used during the crime spree.

Also, 911 calls from Monday are not yet available. Investigators said they will not release those calls to the media because they are part of an ongoing investigation.