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 […]
Columbine High School shooting
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, […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: We are the children of gun violence, fear, racism and hate. Will you love us more than your guns?
We are the children of gun violence. We are the generation of Columbine, of Virginia Tech, of Sandy Hook, of MSD. We are the children who know every exit and hiding place in our schools. When we were young we were taught to hide, if you’re quiet maybe the shooter won’t find you, maybe you’ll […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: It’s time to tear down Columbine High School
When the majority of U.S. citizens hear the word “Columbine,” they don’t think of the beautiful flowers that adorn meadows each year. Nor do they envision a high school with Friday night football games, pep rallies or laughter of students in the hallways. Rather, due to the events of April 20, 1999, there is a […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, Education, News
Should schools and buildings be torn down after mass shootings? Columbine looks to others as it struggles with trespassers
Just two months before the 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings the school resource officer on campus called the Jefferson County Sheriff for help. A 29-year-old man from Texas was in the school parking lot taking pictures and making bizarre statements. Harry Carswell told an officer he had channeled one of the Columbine […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, News
Colorado learned the danger of glamorizing shooters. Does lionizing student heroes also carry risks?
The youngest students learn to help their teacher barricade a door. Middle-schoolers work on how to join forces to pin a gunman to the ground during a struggle, to spread their body weight, like wrestlers, across an arm or a leg. And in high school, training in how to fight off an active shooter includes […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Let’s find ways to protect students without placing them at additional risk
Almost immediately after the mass shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch, the public and legislators once again initiated discussions on how to make schools safer and prevent acts like these from reoccurring. It was announced recently that Douglas County had approved $10 million toward school safety, which may include buying metal detectors, increasing mental health […]