Essay on The Columbine Massacre

On April 20, 1999, the unimaginable occurred at Columbine High School in the small town of Littleton, Colorado. A school shooting, perpetrated by, then senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold took the entire community by storm. With 15 deaths, including the perpetrators, and 24 non-fatal injuries, the memories of this horrific massacre will forever resonate in minds of all. With a meticulously, thought out plan, the two shooters prepared guns and bombs before performing the sickening act. Families, the FBI, local officials, psychologists,

It was 11:19 am when the first set of gunshots pierced through the walls of Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. In 49 short minutes, two high school seniors, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 students and 1 teacher, and then killed themselves. Months prior, the pair planned out the attacks in a series of journal entries and video diaries. The attack at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999 raised many questions; the biggest one being, why did they do it? While the common media misconception is that the Columbine shooting was a war against jocks and outcasts, the shooting was actually perpetuated by psychopathy and depression in the shooters.

day two seniors Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris carried out a full blown assault on the school during school hours with hundreds of kids and teachers present” (Levy, 1999). These two had a plan to kill as many people as they possibly could. They had multiple guns and explosives as they patrolled the halls looking for their victims. By the time the situation was resolved they had murdered 12 students and 1 teacher before they killed themselves.

Tuesday April 20th, 1999 began like any other day. Parents went to work, and the children went off to school. Neither worried about the other, or how their day would turn out. But, hours later everything changed (“Columbine Highschool Massacre.”). Little did the residents of Columbine, Colorado know their high school would be a statistic for one of the largest school massacres in US History. On this day, two teenage boys were responsible for killing 12 innocent students and a teacher, wounding 23 more students, and then killing themselves (Miller). While a horrific event, the Columbine tragedy improved the safety in schools by upgrading security systems, improving administration’s knowledge on school security, and increasing

The day of the Columbine Massacre is a day that will forever burn a hole in America’s heart. The nation was shocked at the news that on April 20, 1999, high school seniors Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris went on a precisely planned shooting rampage at their school, Columbine High School. This event killed a total of thirteen individuals, including twelve students and one highly heroic teacher, and wounded many. The reportedly troubled boys had often accused others of having bullied them, which raised the question of how apparent the warning signs were of their rampage. Because this incident was one of the first known school shootings throughout the nation, many of its specific details were taken into account to help protect schools all

     With every generation, there is some sort of tragedy that can alter ones life. Through the events that occurred on April 20, 1999, people have become suspicious of anyone that displays signs of oddness, such as; withdrawal from friends, change in physical appearance, or anyone who is an outcast. On this infamous day in history, two Columbine high school students fatally shot 12 of their peers, one teacher, and wounded 24 others before they took there own lives. It is not clear why they chose this day, but it may be because this was the 110th anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s birthday. What happened on this day was a tragedy that affected not only Columbine, but the whole country as well.

The beginning of the nonfiction, Columbine by Dave Cullen, takes place four days before the Columbine massacre at Columbine High School’s assembly in Littleton, Colorado, just before the weekend of Prom. Ironically, Principal DeAngelis, the one who had hosted the school assembly, provides a lecture of everyone coming back alive and safe after prom. Soon after, on April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold arrived at Columbine High School with two bombs based on portable propane bottles, decoy bombs in their cars and across town, and dozens of small pipe bombs, along with guns and ammunition. Their original and only plan was to shoot anyone and everyone who escapes from the building after the bombs detonated, and they had expected to be shot to death by police; however, their plans partly failed when the bombs planted inside the school did not go off. Although their plan of distraction did not succeed as expected, Harris and Klebold entered the school and began shooting and firing pipe bombs for a little over fifteen minutes. Afterwards, after roaming the school for a short amount of time, they returned to the library where most of their victims had died, set off one final bomb, and committed suicide by shooting themselves. Although their bombing failed, the ensued shooting resulted in a new era of school violence and had left “a lasting impression on the world.” However, by the end of the day, the horrifying incident was falsely blamed on bullying, the popular “Goth”

Some of the people they killed, were killed because of their skin color, their status amoung the high school, or because of their religious beliefs. One student named Cassie Bernall, a 17-year-old junior was killed because she believed in God. Cassie's martyrdom was even more remarkable when you consider that just a few years ago she had dabbled in the occult, including witchcraft. She had embraced the same darkness and nihilism that drove her killers to such despicable acts. But two years ago, Cassie dedicated her life to Christ, and turned her life around. Another student, Isaiah Shoels, 18, senior, was the only black student shot. Suffered health problems as a child and had heart surgery twice. Wanted to attend an arts college and become a music executive. Small in stature, but lifted weights and played football and wrestled. Bench-pressed twice his weight.

Eighteen years ago on April 20, 1999, two students identified as Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold besieged Columbine High School in Colorado. Infamously known now as the Columbine Massacre, it was, at the time, “ the worst school shooting in U.S. history” (Obmascik, 1999, para. 1) with 15 causalities including the perpetrators themselves. Despite occurring in a small town in Colorado, the event shook the entire country. The shooting became a national ordeal as America watched "the murders being broadcast[ed] locally and nationally on live television" (Obmascik, 1999, para. 12). Moreover, as news outlets continuously published reports on the massacre, information unraveled and a story developed in real time.

On April 20th of the year 1999, two high school students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, went armed into Columbine High School with guns, knives, and a multitude of bombs. The result was the slaughter of twelve students and one teacher. The gunners also turned the guns

When reading this book, Cullen wants his readers to believe that there are ways to prevent attacks like this and not every attacks like this are influenced by bullying, harassment, or even violence seen on television. Preventing these actions can be as easy as looking out for warning signs and reporting anything suspicious. If schools wanted to take it to the next step, they can arm school officials after they have been trained and have had a thorough background check. This way, the school will have powerful way of protection. If teachers and students took these actions to protect their school, they may prevent some incidents like Columbine. But, even if schools try there hardest to protect their school, there are still ways one can attack.

Craig Scott, a survivor of the Columbine massacre, once said while visiting the well known school, “this is the most famous high school in all of America for the wrong reasons.” On April 20, 1999 two high school students - Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold - opened fire on fellow students and teachers at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The two boys killed twelve students, one teacher, and wounded twenty-four others before turning their guns on themselves. That day at Columbine has left an impact on the nation, as well as the American education system. The shocking event lead to enhanced school security, student training, and an emphasis on positive relationships between students, teachers, and members of the community.

The first misconception is that the social cliques that occur in high schools across the nation has a role in this tragedy. Columbine is not simply a school shooting but is rather a shooting that the gunmen chose the school as their tool. School shooters tend to act impulsively and attack the targets of their rage mainly the students and faculty. Harris and Klebold planned for a year and dreamed much bigger. The school served as a means to a grander end, to terrorize the entire nation by attacking a symbol of American life. The shooters talk in numerous video tapes about their act being bigger than the Oklahoma city bombings. They boasted about making sure there bloody performance was bigger and more memorable. Klebold is particular was quoted as bragging about inflicting “the most deaths in U.S. history. Columbine was

Unfortunately, school shootings and threats have become more common throughout the past 18 years. One of the first major school shootings that brought attention to gun violence in America was the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999. According to the U.S. History website state that two teens, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, went on a shooting spree throughout the school. After killing 12 students and one teacher, the boys then killed themselves. During the investigation on the boys motives, investigators came to the conclusion that most likely the shooting was connected to bullying because the boys were members of social outcast groups, and violence in video games. It is unfortunate that bullying may have been the cause of this awful event in history, but it is even more upsetting that school shootings like these, have happened again at an even worse

The recent events at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado are symptomatic of a growing rate of violence and disrespect for human dignity. Violence among our young people has reached crisis proportion. Rape, another form of violence and aggression, is also on the rise.