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Mason C. Horak

Mrs Records

English 3

8 May 2017

The Columbine Shooting

On April 20th 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold entered Columbine High School and

went on to commit the deadliest school shooting in American history. The thought of having kids

in danger is horrifying, but the thought of American children dying can be unbearable for some.

Attacks on schools are a huge threat to the American children and strike fear in the eyes of many

people around the country.

Some people might say that something like a school shooting could never happen to their

children or family, but in reality this horrifying event could happen anywhere at any time. In this

case, the two shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold approached Columbine High School in

Colorado armed with guns, explosives and the intent to kill everyone at school. Originally, the

shooters had planted a bomb in the cafeteria that would have possibly killed hundreds of

students, but after the bomb failed to detonate Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold headed into

the school to continue with their plans. The shooters that were dressed in trench coats began the

shooting outside and then moved into the library where they gunned down more victims. Then at

around 12 o'clock both Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold turned their guns on themselves ending

their own lives. This event will forever go down as a national tragedy ending in 15 deaths (13

students, 1 teacher and the shooters themselves) and 24 seriously wounded. (Columbine)
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Many have wondered what would influence two teens to do such terrible things, and

many believe that bullying was a contributor, where evidence has also been found to support

that Harris and Klebold had varying pre-existing psychological conditions as well as substance

abuse issues. Others have claimed that the educational had pushed them to do it or the all too

popular idea that pop-culture was a (if not the) main contributor. and also Many have claimed

that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold suffered from pre-existing psychological conditions and it

could be that these conditions could have been an influence on the shooting. (columbine)

This shows how bullying can affect teens, and how feeling left out or alone may have contributed

greatly to why these two young men would do something so terrible. Through journals left

behind by Harris and Klebold, investigators eventually discovered the teens had been planning

for a year to bomb the school in an attack similar to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombings.

(Columbine)

This tragedy affected the rest of the country and the school safety procedures in many

ways. After something as major as the Columbine shooting, many Americans looked for change.

There have been many steps that have been taken to make schools a safer place. Like heightened

school security. Schools have significantly increased their security measures since the 1999

Columbine massacre. Some of the common school security upgrades include: metal detectors,

security cameras, required ID badges, enforced dress codes, banned or see-through backpacks

and on-campus police officers. (9 Ways) They have also made Zero Tolerance Policies where

schools have truly put their foot down on student threats and bullying. (9 Ways) This creates

a safer atmosphere for the kids and eases the mind of a lot of parents. Lastly, one great thing that

has come out of this terrible event was Rachel's challenge. Rachel Scott was the first person
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killed in the Columbine Massacre. The result of this was the creation of a movement that would

be spread across the country. Rachel's Challenge is about bringing students together to make

them feel like they have a special place in the community, and it is a great organization that has

done a great job of changing students lives throughout the country.

In conclusion, the Columbine Massacre was a terrible day for the United States Of

America that will not soon be forgotten. It has petrified parents and students around the country

and has raised many questions for parents about their child's safety. This is an important event in

history because it changed how schools operate nation wide. It has also started movements like

rachel's challenge that have influenced young kids in so many ways. Even though it was a

terrible situation, schools across the country have done a good job minimizing the threat of

something like this happening happening again by making schools as safe as possible. Not only

for the kids but for the teachers as well. Even though these changes have brought more rules to

school districts, they have also lifted a huge weight off of a lot of parents shoulders.

Work cited
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2017.

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Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. 09 May 2017.

"Columbine High School Shootings Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 05 Apr. 2017. Web.

09 May 2017.