COLUMBINE: ONE YEAR LATER
On April 20, 1999, trench coat-clad, gun-toting Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire in the cafeteria of their suburban Denver high school. They killed 12 fellow students, a teacher and themselves in a stunning outburst of violence that would focus the nation’s attention on a set of difficult issues ranging from the availability of guns to the difficulties of teen life outside the popular clique.
In the ensuing year, the tragedy at Columbine High School has become a potent symbol of teen angst, random anger and gun violence. The debates sparked by the slayings--over the needs of America’s youth, gun control, school safety, and violence in video games and movies--continue in newspapers, radio talk shows and school board meetings from New York to Honolulu.
Has anything changed?
Southern California Living asked a parent, a teacher, two high school students and an L.A. public school mental health professional to describe their reactions to the Columbine ordeal and assess its impact on American life.
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