The Columbine High School shooting, which occurred on April 20, 1999, remains one of the most infamous school shootings in American history. The two shooters, Eric Harris, and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people and injured 24 others before taking their own lives. The shooting sparked widespread shock and horror and prompted a national conversation about school violence and safety. In the years since the shooting, a great deal of research has been conducted on the shooters, their motives, and the factors that contributed to the shooting. The two shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, of the Columbine school shooting, were very different people based on their emotions, plans, and motives for the shooting.
Firstly, their emotions leading up to the
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Harris had a clear, well-thought-out plan for the attack, while Klebold seemed to go along with Harris's ideas without fully understanding their implications. Eric Harris, one of the two shooters at Columbine, had a clear plan for the attack. Harris had meticulously planned and prepared for the shooting, gathering weapons, ammunition, and explosives. He had also recorded videos and written journals detailing his plans and motivations. The level of planning and preparation that Harris put into the attack suggests that he had been thinking about and planning for it for some time. The fact that Harris had a plan for the attack, shows how dangerous he was and how hard it is to predict such a tragic event. It also highlights the need for prevention and intervention strategies that can identify and address individuals who may be planning violent acts. “Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were radically different individuals, with vastly different motives and opposite mental conditions. Klebold is easier to comprehend, a more familiar type. He was hotheaded, but depressive and suicidal. He blamed himself for his problems” (Cullen 3). One of the two Columbine shooters, Dylan Klebold, appeared to be unaware of the objectives and driving forces behind the attack. In contrast to Harris, who had a precise and well-thought-out strategy, Klebold's involvement in the shooting's preparation and execution seems to have been less significant. Klebold struggled with thoughts of hopelessness and had a history of depression. He struggled to fit in because he had experienced bullying in school. It is hypothesized that Klebold may not have fully understood Harris's plans but rather may have been swayed by them and followed them. Harris was the one who had the desire for revenge and Klebold may have been drawn to Harris as a friend and a way to feel like he belonged. This apparent lack of understanding on Klebold's part highlights the