Thirteen years after the grisly student massacre at Columbine High School, the men and women who were there on the day of the deadly spree are still suffering. A new documentary being made by a former student sheds light on the raw emotional trauma the witnesses still grapple with.
Former Columbine student Sam Granillo, now a 30-year-old filmmaker, found himself cornered in a room that day as two disturbed students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, went on a shooting rampage, killing 13 people. Granillo managed to survive by sticking his foot in the door of the room to keep it barred shut. To this day, he suffers panic attacks and depression. And so do many of the other former students.
“It will never be back to normal for Columbine,” says the principal who was there that day in footage from the documentary. “We had to redefine ‘normal.’”
Granillo is raising funds to finish the documentary and wants the eventual proceeds from the film to go towards counseling for former students, many of whom have gone into debt getting mental help. However, he also says that residents of high school's town, Littleton, Colorado, are still sensitive about how the incident is portrayed and that’s been intimidating.
Since Columbine happened, high school culture has undergone an enormous sea change. Much more attention is paid to students who make threats. And bullying, which Harris and Klebold were subjected to daily, has become a national issue. Who knows, if the bullying of Harris and Klebold had been stopped, perhaps the massacre may not have ever happened.
Unfortunately, high school shootings still go on, such as the recent one in Chardon, Ohio. And long as teenagers can get a hold of guns, I imagine they still will.
Do you feel your children in safe in schools? Would you watch the Columbine documentary?
Image via ABC
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Comments 8
Yes, my children are relatively safe from guns in schools due to where we live, but that doesn't mean something bad can't happen otherwise. I try not to dwell on "what could happen." I rely on statistics and facts and hope that my family doesn't "win" the tradgedy lottery. And yes, I will watch this doc.
Are we really "safe" anywhere? It seems like killers are finding new sanctuaries to violate every day.
Almost ten years ago, two boys were caught with a detailed plan to bomb our small town middle school in Michigan, which is only blocks from our house. This was a shocker to have it right here, but thanks for the increased sensitivity to this sort of thing, they were stopped before anything happened.
My daughter goes to that school now, and I don't worry about her there beyond the typical middle school stuff. It's a normal, small town school, 20 miles outside of a medium sized city. However, I do teach her to be tuned in to things around her if she hears or sees something unusual. We can't live in fear, but in a more violent culture where Grand Theft Auto is entertainment, we do need to be much more aware.
The rumour that the murderers at Columbine were bullied was dispelled long ago. People who were in school with them have repeatedly been quoted as saying that was not true. Revisionist versions of any event does a disservice to the real victims.
It is a good thing your article is on a blog site. Your reporting, concerning the alleged "bullying" is completely inaccurate.