English major blamed for Virginia Tech shooting

"Looking back, he fit the exact stereotype of what one would typically think of as a 'school shooter' -- a loner, obsessed with violence, and serious personal problems," former classmate Ian MacFarlane wrote on an AOL blog site.

Cho who was studying English literature, wrote profanity-laced plays and had characters talk of pedophilia and attack each other with chainsaws, said MacFarlane, now an AOL employee.

The dead were found in at least four classrooms as well as a stairwell. The gunman was found sprawled among them, having taken his own life, police said.

Twelve students remained hospitalized in stable condition on Tuesday, officials said.

The campus, where there are more than 25,000 full-time students, reeled with shock and grief.

For Tuesday's memorial ceremony, an overflow crowd of several thousand filled most of the field in the neighboring football arena on a sunny spring day.

Many students said they felt exhausted and numb. Some shook with sobs as the hymn "Amazing Grace" played.

"We're just trying to cope with everything," said Jack Nicholson, 21, of Leonardtown, Maryland. "It's just been crazy."

University President Charles Steger and law enforcement officials on Monday defended their response to the shootings.

Many students have expressed anger that they were not warned of any danger until more than two hours after the first attack at a dormitory -- and then only in an e-mail from the university.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino acknowledged that "there is going to be and there has been an ongoing national discussion and debate about gun control policy," but said the focus for now was on grieving families and the school.

More than 30,000 people die from gunshot wounds every year in the United States and there are more guns in private hands than in any other country. A powerful gun lobby and grass-roots support for gun ownership rights have largely thwarted attempts to tighten controls.

FACTBOX-Shootings at U.S. schools

FACTBOX-School shootings around the world

FACTBOX-Guns and gun ownership in the U.S.

Debate over U.S. gun violence