Echoes of Columbine

Last updated: March 31, 2018 Date:  April 16 Year: 2007 School:  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Location:  Blacksburg State: Virginia Wounded: 23 Fatalities:  32 Shots Fired:  174/100 hits (60% fatality rate) (carried an additional 200 rounds, 17 10 - 15 round spent magazines were found at the scene) Time lapsed:  9 minutes Police response time:  3 minutes, 5 to break through chains How ended:  Suicide as police approached Civilians involved:  No Perpetrator:  Seung Hui Cho, Age:  23 Family history:  Born in South Korea, his family emigrated to the U.S. when Cho was 8. Relatives were concerned about him from a young age, because he didn't speak or make eye contact, and he was believed to be selectively mute. He was considered well behaved and obedient child, he just showed no emotion. Grandfather reports Cho never called him grandfather or embraced him as a child. ...

Last Updated: March 27, 2018 Date:  October 2 Year:  2006 School:  West Nickel Mines Amish School  Location:  Lancaster County State: Pennsylvania Wounded:  5 Fatalities:  6 Shots Fired:  17 (though some reports say there were bullet holes "everywhere") Time lapsed: 42 minutes Police response time: 6 minutes How ended: Suicide Civilians involved:  No Perpetrator:  Charles Carl Roberts Age: 32 Family history:  Roberts was known as a church going family man and loving father who drove a milk tuck. He was home schooled as a child, and he home schooled his children. Red flags:  Unknown. First reported sign of trouble was when his wife found the suicide notes he had left for he family. She feared he was suicidal, and called police. By the time she found them the hostage situation was well in progress.  Mental illness history:  Unknown. Experts believe he suffered from severe...

Editors note:  Though Columbine has become one of the most well known school shootings, even giving rise to the term "Pulling a Columbine," it was not intended to be a school shooting at all. What most of America saw as a school shooting was originally meant to be a mass bombing of unimaginable scale. The bombs placed in the cafeteria were enough to bring the library crumbling down on the cafeteria. Both rooms were full of students at the time. The shooters were positioned outside waiting for survivors to come running out of the building as unwitting targets. Both of their cars were wired as well. They set fire to several rooms, that were put out by bystanders or sprinklers. Thankfully, the bombs were mostly defective. This was not a school shooting it was a domestic terror attack.  This topic has been covered at length, and links will follow if you would like to know more about it but we won't cover the standard details here. These are the details used for our r...

Last updated March 25, 1018 Date: May 21 Year: 1998 School:  Thurston High School shooting Location:  Springfield State: Oregon Wounded: 25 Fatalities: 2 (4 counting his parents at home) Shots Fired:  50 rounds, 37 hits Time lapsed:  Under 7 minutes Police response time: 8 minutes How ended: Tackled and subdued by 7 students, including one previously injured student. The responding officer pulled them off of him and one student punched Kinkle in the face. Civilians involved: Yes. Taken down by unarmed students. Perpetrator: Kipland Kinkle Age: 15 Family history: Family had struggled with Kinkle, and he had been in treatment for depression. He attended 9 sessions, but was withdrawn because he seemed to be improving. Kip was very intelligent according to tests, but struggled with spelling. His frustration and anxiety levels were abnormally high. Red flags:  Kinkle had attempted to buy a stolen gun from another student but was caught ...

Two of the youngest mass shooters and the only two living school shooters who are not incarcerated... Last updated: March 25, 2018 Date:   March 24 Year: 1998 School:  Westside Middle School Location:  Jonesboro State: Arkansas Wounded:  5 Fatalities: 10 Shots Fired:  27 Time lapsed:  4 minutes Police response time:  Unknown. Approx. 4 minutes. After police arrived shooters ran.  How ended: Taken without issue. Civilians involved:  None known Perpetrators:  Mitchell Johnson (13) and Andrew Golden (11) cousins Age: 13 & 11 Family history:  The two students were cousins. It was reported that Golden came from a normal, happy American family. No home troubles were noted in family history. Johnson came from a broken family, and lived with his mother and stepfather. His mother was a prison guard and married a man she met in prison for weapons charges. Police report Johnson often disappear...

Last updated: March 23, 2018 Date: Dec, 1 Year: 1997 School:  Heath High School Location:  West Paducah State: Kentucky Wounded: 5 Fatalities: 3 Shots Fired:  8 rounds, fast succession Time lapsed:  12 seconds Police response time:  Shooting ended before police arrived.  How ended: After firing 8 shots, Carneal laid the gun on the ground and sank to his knees. some reports say he was crying. The principal approached him and took him by the shoulders, shaking him asking why he'd done it. Carneal responded "I can't believe I did that, kill me please." He was taken to the office and put under guard while waiting for the police to arrive.  Civilians involved: Carneal surrendered without intervention and was taken quietly. Perpetrator:  Michael Carneal Age: 14 Family history: Red flags: Told students that "something big is going to happen on Monday" but no one took him seriously. Mental illness history:...

Last Updated: March 23, 2018 Date:  October 1 Year: 1997 School:  Pearl High School  Location:  Pearl State: Mississippi Wounded:  7 Fatalities: 3 (including mother: stabbed prior to shooting) Shots Fired: Time lapsed:  11 minutes Police response time:  Incident was over before police arrived and suspect detained. How ended:  Attempted to flee the scene, stopped by student and staff, held until police arrived.  Civilians involved:  Yes, assistant principal Joel Myrick (a U.S. Army Reserve Commander) retrieved his personal Colt 1911 .45 auto from vehicle. Student helped pin car down. Stopped from fleeing, held at gunpoint until police arrived. Perpetrator: Luke Woodham Age: 16 Family history: Red flags: History of animal torture, he wrote in his journal about torturing his dog Sparkle to death. "I will never forget the howl she made. It sounded almost human. We laughed and hit her hard." About a...

Victims of the University of Iowa shooting Date: November 1 Year: 1991 School: University of Iowa Location:  Iowa city State: Iowa Wounded: 1 Fatalities:  6 Shots Fired: Unknown Time lapsed: 12 minutes Police response time: 3 minutes How ended: Suicide. Shooter was found dead from self inflicted gunshot wound.  Civilians involved:  None known, shooter committed suicide shortly after police arrived. Perpetrator:  Gang Lu Age: 28 Family history:  Unknown. Red flags: Yes. Mental illness history: Unknown. Drug or medication use: Unknown. Inspiration: Unknown. In a suicide statement , he discussed his favorite movies, which he said included: "'No Way Out,' 'Die Hard,' 'Indiana Jones,' and Clint Eastwood’s movies where a single cowboy fights against a group of incorporated bad guys who pick on little guys at their will or cover up each other’s ass."  Just a guess of course, but he seemed to s...