Columbine Shootings

Columbine was one of the worst massacres this country has ever seen. It paved the way for a whole new generation of crime, school shootings. Columbine was one of the first shootings of its kind, and with that there is a lot we can learn from it. David Cullen spent almost ten years to research and write the book Columbine. By knowing the complete detailed truth about Columbine it allows us to see past the misconceptions to help prevent similar situations in the future. Not only does Cullen provide the facts of the case, but additionally concludes with how to detect and respond to school shootings. The ability to learn how to prevent more situations such as Columbine makes this book a worthwhile read. One of the biggest things Cullen teaches us in the book is how we can prevent future atrocities. Towards the end of the book he includes what the FBI has found about shootings since Columbine. One of the biggest things we can take away from the book is “Oddballs are not the problem. They do not fit the profile. There is no profile” (Cullen 322). This is a hard yet important lesson to learn. Demonizing kids who are ‘outcasts’ is extremely …show more content…
The myth that school shooters just simply snapped could not be further from the truth. The FBI reports that “93 percent planned their attack in advance. ‘The path towards violence is an evolutionary one, with signposts along the way’” (Cullen 323). This gives teachers as well as parents and other students an opportunity to notice signs, making many school shootings preventable. Cullen also reports that “81 percent of shooters had confided their intentions (Cullen 323). This is proven evident in the Columbine shooting. If only Chris, Robyn or even Zack had said anything to anyone the whole massacre could have been stopped. The book teaches us the lesson to never take any threat lightly, and to always tell someone if something seems