eBay Statement on Virginia Tech News Coverage

Last week’s events at Virginia Tech shocked and deeply saddened the nation. eBay extends its condolences to the families of the victims and to everyone who has been touched by this horrible tragedy.

During the past 24 hours some news outlets have erroneously reported that Mr. Seung-Hui Cho may have purchased on eBay ammunition used in his crimes. To be perfectly clear, guns and ammunition are not permitted on eBay. Mr. Cho did not purchase guns or ammunition on our site.

We can confirm that Mr. Cho did buy and sell numerous items on eBay in recent months, including books and tickets to sporting events. In particular, Mr. Cho purchased empty ammunition clips and a gun holster. Empty ammunition clips and gun holsters are unregulated items that can be legally bought and sold on eBay as well as in retail stores across the US. However, we are saddened that Mr. Cho purchased on eBay any item that may be linked with his actions last week.

eBay contacted law enforcement to offer its assistance in the investigation. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement officials investigating Mr. Cho’s activities.