Dear Chief Editor,

As a Chinese national living in the U.S., I am saddened by the horrific tragedy in Virginia Tech. Words cannot express my sorrow for the victims’ families. At the same time, I am equally saddened by the publication in your newspaper the irresponsible speculations that the shooter was a Chinese national who arrived in the United States last year on a student visa. Publishing such details without waiting for confirmation from law-enforcement authorities is not just a case of bad journalism. Your sensationalized “reporting” may have generated racial tensions in this emotionally charged time. I believe that the Chinese communities and the readers of your newspaper deserve a formal apology from you, and I hope to see such an apology in your newspaper soon.

Sincerely,