Records show Va. Tech gunman was treated

RICHMOND, Va., July 22 (UPI) -- Newly discovered medical records show the student who shot 32 people to death at Virginia Tech in 2007 had been to the school's counseling center.

The Washington Post said Wednesday that Seung-Hui Cho's contacts with the center were part of his file and revealed in a memo from a university lawyer that was obtained by the newspaper.

The revelations could have a significant effect on the legal settlement agreed to by the school and parents of the victims, the majority of who had signed off on the agreement with the understanding that Cho's records had been lost. The missing file, however, turned up this week at the home of the center's former director.

"We relied at the time of settlement on what we believed to be the thoroughness of the investigation … which we obviously now know has very, very serious errors," said Mike Pohl, whose son was killed in the massacre.

The lawsuit contended that Virginia Tech failed to adequately evaluate and treat Cho as his mental condition deteriorated in the month leading up to the shooting spree.

The memo said Cho's records were among files from several Tech students and had apparently been removed from the counseling center more than a year before the April 2007 rampage.

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine announced earlier Wednesday that the records had been found and would be released once approval was given by Cho's family as required by state law.