Case Study Of Columbine High School

On Tuesday, April 20, 1999 two students ( Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold) of Columbine High School in Columbine, an incorporated part of Jefferson County, Colorado, killed 12 students and one teacher, and injured 21 other students. After the massacre the pair committed suicide. Police followed the policies and procedures set forth by Columbine: surrounding the building, setting up a perimeter, and containing the damage. The police are to enclose on the shooter or shooters. It was questionable whether this tactic worked well at Columbine. Their goal was to stop the shooting at all costs, but they could not because the gunman killed themselves. Gun control was another issue in the massacre at Columbine. How did the two gunmen get access
to the firearms and ammunition? Another issue that needed to be explored was social climates and bullying at the school. It was perceived that the gunmen were isolated at the high school due to social cliques. Being out casted could have promoted feelings of helplessness, insecurity, depression, and a strong need for attention. Also there is a need to look at the bullying aspect of the situation. Bullying could have triggered the pair to extreme violence. Issues in Public Administration would concern the police, federal and state officials, teachers, and school administrators. As mentioned earlier, police acted in a reasonable time and handled the situation procedurally. Federal and State officials should have had stronger gun control laws. Teachers and school administrators should enforce and have stronger policies on bullying and tracking troubled students. By implementing gun laws which make is hard for individuals to have guns and ammunition could lessen the crimes committed by guns. School officials ignored the problems going on at the school which led to the massacre. The two gunmen were bullied, out cast, and had severe emotional issues going on. There should be policies and procedure in place to assist students in these predicaments.