SCHOOL

S HO O T I N G S
IN T H E U S A
IT IS DIFFICULT FOR MOST OF US TO UNDERSTAND HOW ANYONE--
REGARDLESS OF THEIR AGE, RELATIONSHIPS, OR GRIEVANCE-- COULD
SHOOT A CHILD OR YOUTH, ESPECIALLY ON SCHOOL GROUNDS.
SCHOOL SHOOTING, IN THE TYPICAL CASE, AN
EVENT IN WHICH A STUDENT AT AN
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION—AN
ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, OR HIGH SCHOOL OR A
COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY—SHOOTS AND
INJURES OR KILLS AT LEAST ONE OTHER
STUDENT OR FACULTY MEMBER ON THE
GROUNDS OF THAT INSTITUTION. SUCH
INCIDENTS USUALLY INVOLVE MULTIPLE
DEATHS.
RAMPAGE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS
ARE A TYPE OF SCHOOL SHOOTING
WHERE NO SINGLE OR SPECIFIC
INDIVIDUAL IS TARGETED BY THE
SHOOTER. ALTHOUGH SCHOOL
SHOOTINGS OCCUR WORLDWIDE,
THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN THE
SCENE OF THE VAST MAJORITY OF
THE ATTACKS, ESPECIALLY SINCE
THE LATE 20TH CENTURY.
 THE 90’S
ALTHOUGH SCHOOL SHOOTINGS HAVE A LONG HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES, THE 1990S WERE A
PIVOTAL POINT, WITH HIGH-PROFILE OCCURRENCES IN SUCH CITIES AS…

PEARL, MISSISSIPPI (1997) SPRINGFIELD, OREGON (1998) JONESBORO, ARKANSAS (1998)

COLUMBINE
HIGH SCHOOL
HOWEVER, IT WAS THE SHOOTINGS AT COLUMBINE
HIGH SCHOOL IN LITTLETON, COLORADO, IN 1999 THAT
BROUGHT PARTICULAR URGENCY TO THE ISSUE. IN THAT
ATTACK, TWO STUDENTS—ERIC HARRIS AND DYLAN
KLEBOLD—KILLED 13 PEOPLE BEFORE TAKING THEIR
OWN LIVES. THE SHOOTINGS GARNERED MASSIVE MEDIA
ATTENTION AND SPARKED A NATIONAL DEBATE ON GUN
VIOLENCE. IN ADDITION, SOME SCHOOLS BEGAN TAKING
EXTRA SECURITY PRECAUTIONS.