When Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold unleashed the firestorm that would forever be known as the Columbine Massacre, criticism of the parents from pundits and political leaders was savage. How could the boys assemble an arsenal of weapons and devise an elaborate plan for a rampage at school without the parents knowing about it? Couldn’t […]
Columbine High School shooting
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Lessons learned from Columbine to Boulder could help us stop more mass shootings
I was one of the first reporters on scene at the Columbine shootings on April 20, 1999. And I covered it continuously, as a local newspaper reporter and eventually as a book author, for 10 years. Despite the horror of Columbine, and all the other mass shootings that followed, there was something that kept me […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Colorado Democrats will pursue mandatory waiting period for gun buyers, safe-storage measure in 2021
Democratic state lawmakers in Colorado are planning to introduce at least three pieces of gun-control legislation this year, including a measure that would require a waiting period — potentially of five days — between when someone purchases a firearm and when they can access that weapon. The other two bills would require gun owners to […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Silverman: Responsible adults should not put weapons in the hands of kids
Donald Trump is good for business. The gun business. Want gun sales to go through the roof? Combine a bad pandemic with civil unrest. Throw in some irresponsible presidential rhetoric about rigged elections and suburban invasions for maximum impact. In his fascinating memoir, Disloyal, Michael Cohen, Trump’s wannabe gangster lawyer, reveals how Donald Junior was constantly […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: The House passed a universal gun background check bill one year ago. The Senate and president must find the courage to act.
In Colorado, we are all too familiar with the tragedy and grief of gun violence. On April 20, 1999, when two shooters open fired at Columbine High School, one of us sat in his freshman class as his high school was put on lockdown just 10 miles away in Highlands Ranch. One of us left […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, Education, News
Secret Service study: Most school shooters were badly bullied, showed warning signs
By Colleen Long, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Most students who committed deadly school attacks over the past decade were badly bullied, had a history of disciplinary trouble and their behavior concerned others but was never reported, according to a U.S. Secret Service study released Thursday. In at least four cases, attackers wanted to emulate other […]
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
These five bills are designed to make Colorado schools safer. None touches on guns.
Colorado’s School Safety Committee moved forward with five bills on Thursday that seek to prevent any more children from becoming victims of school violence. None, however, addresses a core issue related to many incidents of school violence: firearms and students’ access to them. The only mention of guns came at the tail end of Thursday’s […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Wilson: Dear CSU, permitting blackface opens a racial Pandora’s box.
It feels like an abusive relationship, sometimes. First, the offense takes place. Then, the gaslighting commences. The intestinal fortitude it takes to stand one’s moral ground in the face of offensive racial aggressions and historical revisions is energy that could simply be spent living our best lives. The problem is, ignoring racism isn’t safe if […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, Education, Health, Politics and Government
Colorado’s trailblazing Safe2Tell system needs significant upgrades, lawmakers say
Two decades ago, in the wake of the Columbine school shooting, Colorado officials created the Safe2Tell anonymous tip line to help prevent more school massacres. The system set a standard for prevention efforts, one replicated across the nation. But now, lawmakers and mental health experts think Colorado’s system needs a significant upgrade to address an […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Crisanta Duran: “Never again” must be more than just words
Our Colorado communities know all too well the deep pain caused by gun violence. From the Columbine shooting in 1999 to the May shooting at the STEM school of Highlands Ranch, gun violence has made a lasting impact on our communities. The shootings of the past couple of weeks in Dayton, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois, […]