Did it all begin with Columbine?

911 said:
I just wanted to get inside.
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I know the feeling. And the "what Ifs" still haunt me.
We had to wait for about 20 minutes before going in, and a one of 3 victims, 15 years old, was taking her last breaths as we were cleared. Granted with her injury she would probably still had deficits, But her parents would have still had one daughter.
 
JBR said:
Some people here must've studied this. I admit limited knowledge of the modern history of non-military mass shootings. Did Columbine begin the bizarre wave that's now international?

I remember when the first few subsequent incidents that bore some general similarity were termed "copy cat".
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I feel like it did, unfortunately.
 

JBR said:
Old medic, aren't those earliest ones typically well-organized quasi-military or police massacres? Columbine & ones like it usually involve one (or in the case of Columbine, two) wackos with first-rate weaponry & plenty of ammunition. And an element of death, possibly by suicide, at the end for the shooter.
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True point.
 
I went to high school in western Canada in the mid 1970s and we had guns at home and although the schools were full of bullies I never dreamed of bringing a gun to school. I used to walk 5 miles home every day after riding the bus to school because I hated it so much. They didn't believe me when I told them I walked.
 
ATOMANT said:
I went to high school in western Canada in the mid 1970s and we had guns at home and although the schools were full of bullies I never dreamed of bringing a gun to school. I used to walk 5 miles home every day after riding the bus to school because I hated it so much. They didn't believe me when I told them I walked.
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I went to school in mid sixties to late seventies and I only knew of one kid that had a gun. It was a machine gun and was his own. He was our neighbour who lived across the street. A high school I was supposed to transfer fo had a school shoot out. It was the only school shoot out ever. One person was killed and many injured. Very few people ever had guns when I was younger. I might be naive but I donā€™t think Canada has a lot of personal firearms.
 
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PeppermintPatty said:
Very few people ever had guns when I was younger. I might be naive but I donā€™t think Canada has a lot of personal firearms.
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Where I live, in a rural mountain valley in Canada, probably 30% or somewhat more of households have firearms. Generally, they are rifles that can be used for hunting, but also (if need be) to kill an intrusive animal that might pose a danger to family members, especially children. I only know of a couple instances where a friend has shot a bear that was too persistently close to the house. Hardly anybody out here keeps a pistol. I don't keep up with what the situation, as to firearms possession, is like in the cities these days.

But, in recent years, there have been some public mass shootings, apparently some wacko who feels like emulating what's been happening in the U.S. We Canadians can't deny this, it'd be unhealthy to do so. Most of these incidents have happened in more densely populated localities in Canada.
 
Was it the first? No.

There's general info here.

17 Facts About Gun Violence And School Shootings

I think the gun lobby, largely the NRA, give out too much money, and hold too much influence. No-one, as far as I'm aware, has suggested all guns should be banned - yet the story of "they want to take our guns away" is the most prevalent. It's a straw man.

I personally believe "more guns" is not the answer. Arming teachers, school officials, and so on, is simply an escalation of the violence. Adding fuel to the fire is a bad idea, and will only add to the violence. The idea that some good Samaritan with a gun will suddenly save the day is Hollywood thinking. Killing another person is not a simple choice, and all the technicalities that come from that (making sure your shots don't injure others, making sure your weapons aren't taken from you, etc.)

School shooting, or mass shootings, are NOT a gun problem. They're a societal problem. That said, making it more difficult (NOT IMPOSSIBLE) to get guns is just a sensible choice. As such, it won't ever be followed.
 
PeppermintPatty said:
I went to school in mid sixties to late seventies and I only knew of one kid that had a gun. It was a machine gun and was his own. He was our neighbour who lived across the street. A high school I was supposed to transfer fo had a school shoot out. It was the only school shoot out ever. One person was killed and many injured. Very few people ever had guns when I was younger. I might be naive but I donā€™t think Canada has a lot of personal firearms.
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We had a semi auto 22 and a Lee Enfield WW2 bolt action rifle. Not an AR or full auto Glock but still both capable of hurting people. Like I said it never crossed my mind to bring them to school.
In elementary school a kid brought his bb gun for show and tell. Didn't raise any alarms back in the day. Nobody even got there eye poked out.
 
ATOMANT said:
We had a semi auto 22 and a Lee Enfield WW2 bolt action rifle. Not an AR or full auto Glock but still both capable of hurting people. Like I said it never crossed my mind to bring them to school.
In elementary school a kid brought his bb gun for show and tell. Didn't raise any alarms back in the day. Nobody even got there eye poked out.
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We never had the internet to discuss it either.
 
JBR said:
Where I live, in a rural mountain valley in Canada, probably 30% or somewhat more of households have firearms. Generally, they are rifles that can be used for hunting, but also (if need be) to kill an intrusive animal that might pose a danger to family members, especially children. I only know of a couple instances where a friend has shot a bear that was too persistently close to the house. Hardly anybody out here keeps a pistol. I don't keep up with what the situation, as to firearms possession, is like in the cities these days.

But, in recent years, there have been some public mass shootings, apparently some wacko who feels like emulating what's been happening in the U.S. We Canadians can't deny this, it'd be unhealthy to do so. Most of these incidents have happened in more densely populated localities in Canada.
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We used to live in a subdivision that backed onto farm fields so were 1/2 rural. I know some had guns for hunting. Youā€™d hear them during hunting season.

My neighbour was the only person I knew that had a gun that wasnā€™t for hunting. I didnā€™t ask why he had it. I was just there to pick up some stuff.

When I moved up north, I knew about a man who killed another. It was someone my husband knew and the killer was found and sentenced. Thats close enough for me.
 
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PeppermintPatty said:
We used to live in a subdivision that backed onto farm fields so were 1/2 rural. I know some had guns for hunting. Youā€™d hear them during hunting season.

My neighbour was the only person I knew that had a gun that wasnā€™t for hunting. I didnā€™t ask why he had it. I was just there to pick up some stuff.

When I moved up north, I knew about a man who killed another. It was someone my husband knew and the killer was found and sentenced. Thats close enough for me.
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I lived in Texas. :D
 
Also, a Texan, too young to understand. Now, I kind of understand but I also know this is not going to stop. There are too many young people not being understood, bullied, not getting the help they need and then they explode into madness. This will take all of us paying attention, making sure that people get the care for mental illness they deserve. It also means that those of us that are parents address the unrentless bully that tortures those that do not fit in. Humanity needs to take notice that just because someone is different does not give them leave to torture and bully.

They need to learn to embrace these people to help them feel that they are not alone, that they are okay and part of the world. They have many gifts to shre with us all if we will only give them the chance. MANY are born austictic, with downs or other challenges. They does not mean they do not deserve understanding, love, inclusion, a chance to have a happy life, yet they are so many so called normal people that think it is okay to bully, be cruel and torment them.

Those so called normal, mean people are outraged when violence happens when they themselves have played a part into the anger and violence. Why do they not plead guilty in the so called torment that drives other to insanity. No. It is someone elses fault, They themselves, deserve the punishment. They never get it, they walk the world being the same judgemental horrible humans they are because they are never held accountable for their actions.
 
I had worked in a public school system for about 20 years when Columbine happened. Prior to that time, schools were completely open, no doors were locked save after closing, and anyone could enter at any time for any reason whatsoever. It was a school, after all, and who would want to hurt children?! An occasional student might bring a small knife to school, but they were always ratted out, and dealt with severely. Guns and school shootings were unthinkable.

That changed almost overnight with Columbine, when the unthinkable became reality. A traveling specialist, I was met at school doors by a hastily-employed security guard with a sidearm whoā€™d ask who I was, and what my business at the school was. Innocence and the presumption of good faith were lost at that point.

A little later, and the fortification of schools began. Doors were electronically locked, and anyone seeking entrance had to be ā€œbuzzed inā€ by a harried, overworked secretary who communicated with you via an outside speaker. You might stand outside for some time if the secretary was away from her desk. Still later, traveling personnel were issued electronic cards by which they could open locks themselves to gain school entry.

Itā€™s all terribly sad, but sadly necessary since the unthinkable became an increasing realityā€¦
 

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