The Columbine Massacre, the most gruesome school shooting in U. S. history, plagued the town of Littleton, Colorado. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the shooters, have very diverse backgrounds. Eric was intelligent while being cool at the same time. He manages to get superior grades, while doing shameful things. However, “Dylan Klebold was a meek, self-conscious, and authentically shy. He could barely speak in front of a stranger, especially a girl” (Columbine 6). Judgment Day, the most tragic day in school history, is what Eric and Dylan called their mass murder. This day is where the two put their plans nto effect.
They were able to acquire several powerful guns, and make many bombs. Even though their plans did not all go as expected, they managed to kill thirteen people and wounded many more. Parents were heartbroken, and many suffered mental health problems from losing their children. This story was the most viewed news story at the time of the shooting. Police, bomb squads, and news reporters swarmed Columbine High School. No one quite understood what would make two teenagers commit such a tragedy. Many believed that the two had deep psychological issues, which psychologists have proven o be true.
Their biggest motive was that they wanted to be noticed by the entire nation. They wanted to do something that would catch the attention of everyone, which they accomplished. Many of the officers who first responded to the shooting at Columbine, were not prepared or properly trained for what they encountered. After Columbine, many of the police force tactics and plans were changed (Columbine Tragedy 1). Schools were a big factor in the effects of the Columbine shooting. Many schools changed dramatically in how they secure the school and the students inside.
Overall, Columbine affected many people across the nation and changed the way schools perform. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were best friends throughout school. Soon after they both enrolled at Columbine High School, their friendship started to grow. Eric Davis was born in Witchita, Kansas in April of 1981. His mother, Kathy, stayed home to watch the kids. Eric’s childhood was hectic and always moving. His father was in the Air Force and was always moving to different bases. Eric’s dad, Wayne, finally decided to retire. Soon after, Eric and his family moved to Colorado. Dylan Klebold was born in Denver, Colorado in September of 1981.
His parents, Susan and Tom, got married soon after becoming high school lovers. Both of Dylan’s parents died when he was young (Hasday 12-14). The psychology of these teenagers had a huge impact on why they did what they did. Dylan was easy to understand, yet he was suicidal and blames himself for many things. Eric on the other hand was nice, and easy to speak to, but was homicidal. Students at Columbine even called him nice. “Klebold was hurting inside while Harris wanted to hurt people,” said Special Agent Dwayne Fuselier, the FBI’s lead Columbine nvestigator (“The Depressive” 1).
Judgement Day is the day where Eric and Dylan accomplish their plans. Killing thirteen people and wounding more than twenty other, Dylan and Eric opened fire at Columbine High School, on April 20, 1999 (Columbine High School 1). Discovered in a journal found by investigators, the teens had been planning this gruesome act for a long while. Eric designed several bombs made out of propane tanks. He also designed smaller pipe bombs, that he would later throw into the school. The shooting consisted of three parts; the first being a massive explosion in the school commons.
Soon following was part two, where Eric and Dylan would open fire. They would practice their positioning and shoot from their cars in part three. They had little hope of making it through this part (Columbine 32-34). Luckily, part one of the teens plan was not successful. They did not properly set the timers of the bombs, which in return caused there to be no explosion. Part two, however, was not as ineffective. On the day of the shooting, around eleven in the morning, Eric and Dylan began shooting classmate as Columbine High School. The shooting lasted under an hour.
In that hour, the two teens had illed thirteen people, and wounded around twenty others (Columbine High School 1). They not only shot student’s cold blooded, but also threw small bombs around the school. The two teens had a run-in with police, and tried to shoot them as well. Part three, alongside part one, was also not successful since they didn’t make it out of the school. After Eric and Dylan finished their rampage, they turned the guns on themselves. This happened in the library of Columbine High School, after antagonizing students and laughing while they shot them. The chaos of the shooting left many distressed.
After the shooting he victims family members waited to hear the condition of their wounded or missing loved ones (Hasday 30). Many people were confused as to what exactly happened. “I was beside myself; distraught beyond words. Up to this point I had still hoped for the best, but now? I felt deceived. Not intentionally, perhaps, but deceived nonetheless, and so bitterly that it almost choked me,” said Misty Bernall, mother of Cassie Bernall. (Bernall 10-11) Cassie Bernall was one of the thirteen killed at Columbine. Cassie Bernall’s mom has horrifying nightmare’s repeatedly because of this horrible tragedy.
She suffers veryday of her child being ripped away from her. How the police respond to a situation is critical in any situation. Many of the officers who first responded to the shooting at Columbine, were not properly trained for what they encountered. Two of the officers traded fire with Eric and Dylan. They eventually stopped because they knew they should wait for a specially trained team. This was shown not to be a smart decision, because by the time the trained team got into the building, Eric and Dylan killed ten of the thirteen victims. After the team entered the building, they took several hours going from room o room.
In this time Eric and Dylan had turned their guns on themselves in the library (Columbine Tragedy 1). The killer’s motivation was key into the investigation of Columbine. Many school shootings involve a person targeting individuals who have bullied them or they did not like. Eric and Dylan wanted something much more than that. They wanted the entire nation to know what they did. The students and teachers were just “collateral damage,” as Timothy McVeigh described. They knew that if their plan was successful they would would be nationally known. “The killers, in fact, laughed at petty school shooters.
They bragged about dwarfing the carnage of the Oklahoma City bombing and originally scheduled their bloody performance for its anniversary” (“The Depressive” 1). Their plan was made easier because of their gun supplier. Mark Manes supplied Eric and Dylan with the guns they used. He was arrested in May of 1999, a month after the shooting (Hasday 18). The story was already being viewed on local television within a half hour of the shooting. In the beginning, everything was a speculation about what happened. There were countless mix-ups in what really happened.
Eric and Dylan had been disposing of layers of lothing. This made them look different, which caused witnesses to believe there were multiple killers. The news coverage became viewed by millions. The Columbine shooting became nationally known the worst school shooting in history. It was also known as one of the deadliest school shootings. There are many after effects of the Columbine massacre, including the changes in laws and plans. Before the Columbine shooting, many officers were trained to wait for specially trained teams to handle the situation at hand. This allowed more time to execute their tactics.
After Columbine many police officers ent to “active-shooter” training. This trained the officer to do whatever it takes to stop the perpetrator (Columbine Tragedy 1). Waiting for trained forces Having all police officers trained properly ensures that they can do everything they can, without having to sit wait for others. show up, wastes crucial time. The Columbine shooting also prompted many changes in school security. Some of those being; metal detectors, cameras, ID badges, and on campus police. Faculty members encourage students to speak up when they hear about any potential threats.
Many schools have enacted zero-tolerance policies, hat crack down on students bringing anything to school that suggest it to be a weapon. Emergency crisis plans have also been put into place to teach students and staff how to deal with dangerous situations (Schools Have Changed 1). A common strategy of schools, is to gather students in one spot when an intruder is present. This has been proven to be ineffective, and students and staff are not trained to spread out. Columbine is one of many examples of what can happen to any school. With proper training and student support, these shooting can be prevented in the future.
