In a special night of coverage devoted to the Virginia Tech shootings, three early hours were presented before the regular show. The early program kicked off with psychiatrist Daniel Amen, who returned for the first hour of the regular show. He has scanned the brains of over sixty murderers. The scans typically show abnormalities or damage, such as low activity in the front of the brain, and problems in the temporal lobe which could contribute to "evil thoughts." There is also evidence that the "gear shifter" in such people's brains malfunction and they can remain stuck on negative behavior and thoughts, he reported.
Author Howard Bloom also appeared during the early show as well as during third hour of the regular broadcast. He spoke of the need for better communication between law enforcement and students, and noted that foreign students studying in America face the dual problems of humiliation and isolation-- they could benefit from a type of a buddy system, he suggested.
Larry Pratt, the Executive Director of the Gun Owners of America appeared during the early show and advocated for concealed weapons permits. He commented that if one of the students or teachers had been carrying a gun, they could have put a stop to the massacre, before so many were killed. Studies have shown that people licensed to carry concealed weapons actually have a very low crime rate, he added.
The early program ended with LA sports talk show host Lee Hamilton, who happened to be staying in Blacksburg, Virginia, giving his reactions to the day's events, followed by some Open Lines.
Aside from Amen and Bloom, the regular show featured Curt Lavarello, the Executive Director of the School Safety Advocacy Council, who noted the lack of a mandate for studying and reporting school crime. He stressed the importance of communication between students and adults, the testing out of crisis plans, and a proactive stance by law enforcement. He does not believe that increasing guns on campus is the answer.
Former FBI profiler Clint Van Zandt made a brief appearance at the top of the third hour, commenting that the deceased suspect was likely a narcissist, who used extensive planning to carry out his acts.
The last hour of the program featured Open Lines.