Leakage and the Injustice Collectors - March, 2024

In anticipation of the 25th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, emergency managers supporting K12 school districts across the U.S. need to turn their steady-state vigilance into action.

Photo by Siegfried Poepperl on Unsplash

On April 29, 1999, a paradigm shift occurred in mass shootings in America. Twelve students and one teacher were killed at that school in Colorado. In addition, 24 people were injured.¹ While there were sporadic shooting incidents at K12 schools prior to Columbine – including ones where the motivation was either unknown or unspecific in their targets – this was the first mass shooting shown on live television.² This is the pivotal incident where law enforcement started to change tactics away from hostage situations to a new paradigm called an ‘active shooter’.³