After Columbine: Tragedy, trauma and triumph

Columbine shooting survivors are joined by a survivor of the Washington Navy Yard shooting and the Aurora Theater shooting to sit down with ABC’s Morgan Norwood to share their long journey of healing.
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[@b1646717]

We haven’t learned anything from it. No changes.

[@Chatterbox-94]

School shootings have become a normality. Things are simply getting worse.

[@Robertjames525]

That’s what our “caring” politicians want!

[@juanbotello1]

It starts at home. I was 14 years old when Columbine happened. You know what I’ve noticed that has changed? Father absence. Shitty parenting. We can blame guns, as I once did. But that’s not the root cause. It starts at home. We might not prevent all school shootings, but we could reduce them. Parents today blame teachers and everyone else but themselves. My dad was very strict on me and he sided with teachers when I was bad at school. Now, parents point the finger at teachers.

[@KnockingONwood1111]

​@@juanbotello1that's like saying don't outlaw fentanyl because the drug dealers are the actual issue, or the people swallowing the pills. And it's been used for good at times in the past...

[@juanbotello1]

@@KnockingONwood1111 we could ban guns but guess what, I’ll get one anyways. You think bad guys are gonna give up their guns? Drugs are illegal, right? Yet, any teen can buy it with ease in their neighborhood. It starts at home.

[@kyleschwartz2501]

Columbine, Sandy Hook, Stoneman Douglas, Robb Elementary, Virginia Tech, University of Texas, Santa Fe, I can go on and on. That’s not even half of the list. When is this crap going to stop!

[@julievanderleest]

I will never understand why there are people out there who still idolize the monsters of Columbine and continue to believe that they can make such an evil decision and become a school shooter. So many more shootings since and it’s devastating.

[@Abraham-uk4xy]

Worse still there are people who say it was staged. If it was staged where are the students who died? People who say this insult the memory of the dead.

[@vic5015]

Pitiful people desperate to be famous at any cost.

[@vic5015]

​@@Abraham-uk4xythere are people who think Columbine was staged?

[@Abraham-uk4xy]

@@vic5015 yes. They also said Sandy Hook and Uvaldie was staged. But never said Parkland was staged. I could never understand why.

[@sydneyclement9951]

@@vic5015Unfortunately. It’s become common. When Sandy Hook happened, tons of people believed it was fake. They claimed that parents and siblings of the victims were simply crisis actors. They believe that the shooting never happened. (Tell that to the parents who had to bury their children 🙄)

[@SimbaRobyn]

I’ll never forget being glued to the TV. I was in high school at the time and it changed everything. We all had to really grow up that day. 😢

[@TheTishy44]

I was on break sitting outside of work, when all I hear is sirens and sirens….then a helicopter. I was 3 miles from columbine and after that day, Denver changed forever. Then 911 followed, then America changed forever.

[@SamuelHendrix-kb8nn]

25 years now, wow!

[@Tikwiza-qw8zn]

Right

[@fakereality96]

Tell me about it.

[@shadowarcher3966]

RIP to those who lives were lost on that day

[@kristinalenkowsky]

I graduated college in May of 2023, and I couldn’t believe one of the first thoughts I had was- wow, I can take a deep breath, I’m fortunate enough to say I’ve never been in a violent school attack- and that being an achievement or thought when graduating is heartbreaking. 💔

[@wyl.22]

I feel that. I still have some more schooling left but it is kinda scary to think about. I have experience an attack on my school bus when I was a kid but no one was hurt and it was over within seconds nothing too major. I am more worried about my nephew growing up. I have been part of actual lockdown drills that turned out to be a prank and a few that were a poorly behaved child but nothing to this extreme. I don't want my nephew to go through that too

[@teresaS496]

Same 😭😭😭

[@deannanorris03]

I graduated hs in 2022 I graduate college in 2026 when I graduated hs I felt relief .... but we just had a bomb threat and a mass shotting threat in one day ......

[@brucecampbell4528]

You can't be serious it's a joke right?

[@boomds5602]

@@brucecampbell4528 probably a very real thought

[@sophielegault2278]

25 years later still heartbreaking and sad😭😭

[@nicatina]

No teenagers should ever have to face violence on their own at a young age, whether it be at school, mall, movie theater, or other crowded places where it will all most likely take place. Nobody should ever have to endured that. As these five survivors who shared their stories, I'm proud of them all for staying strong all these years and hopefully, their stories keeps being told and shared.

[@forlife84]

I was in 9th grade when Columbine happened. The following day a friend of mine committed suicide. I remember that time feeling very traumatic, and I didn't even go to school there.

[@To_The_Moon96]

Sorry about your friend

[@nameperson3581]

A fellow 1984 person!

[@aggu5477]

and yet nothing has changed

[@spiralrose]

Nope! If anything things have gotten worse.

[@spiralrose]

After a teacher was shot in my state, her school board tried to say that getting shot was an occupational hazard for teachers, and therefore she Couldn’t sue. Messed up

[@girlfromthebronxbywayofelb7288]

@@spiralrose wow, beyond the pale. Wonder if your locality has a teacher shortage now? Repeal PLCAA (2005) to restore liability to gun manufacturers, and their own lawyers will insist on gun safety protocols at point of sale to demonstrate due diligence in court proceedings.

[@acooksla]

It’s worse all the time, it won’t end

[@girlfromthebronxbywayofelb7288]

Bad gun policy got us here. Better gun policy can get us back.

[@hught6885]

Has it been 25 yrs? Wow

[@BriaBarrows]

Yup

[@ruthbtpar]

“i’ve had more funerals than birthdays” 😕

[@sharker102s]

you need to stop attending funerals due to it be depressing

[@acooksla]

America is a tragedy. I left five years ago due in large part of the fear of random violence. What a terrible thing that this has become the norm in America. Shameful

[@Noahbarkley-vq3ef]

It's not guns tho

[@sinnerforlife2827]

And they blamed heavy metal music , Marylin Manson , movies and video games for that tragedy. Nowadays it’s just mental health. SMH!!! Please

[@katieh1752]

I was 6 when this happened and vividly remember it. Completely awful and the fact that so many similar incidents have followed is unacceptable.

[@blackheartkoda2269]

nothings changing people keep dying but no one is doing anything about it.

[@isaacdurfey6978]

It’s still heartbreaking to this day. I mean it was the first to really start a string of school shootings

[@girlfromthebronxbywayofelb7288]

Ten states already ban AR 15. What are the other states waiting for.

[@emilyjades]

nothing has changed :( rest in peace to the victims. you are not forgotten.

[@rickroser59]

Prayers for All of you

[@DeAngeloStevens]

No Facebook, Twitter, KZbin, iPhones were around 25 years ago in 1999.

[@Angel-xd9lt]

and there are still shootings going on today and we have a big problem and its only going to get worse... I remember Columbine April 20 1999 and then September 11 2001 everything changed forever*** Nothing was ever the same and we had to grow up real fast.

[@fallonparks1883]

Prayers for those families rest in peace sweet angles

[@guerovillalbaso2523]

If she was a senior in 1999 how old is she now ?

[@CP-ho2wj]

43

[@MoparGuy1625]

Math is hard…

[@AntiMasonic93]

Yeah, 43. Class of 1999 here as well. I'm 42 though.

[@lindalewis8001]

Sorry for your loss OMG praying for family thanks for sharing blessings 🙏🙏

[@marctandoh5335]

She's 43

[@marikiemarie7622]

I was 16 when this happened. My entire high school life was change. I dropped out about 3 mths later. I wasnt even there and about 500 miles away and it effected me so much that i had to drop out. No one understands what a teen goes through when this type of stuff happens. Even when its wasnt directly happing to you. Watching kids your age being dead on tv. Shot and crying. No. It shouldn't have been on the news the way it was. It was awful for me. I was terrified to even look at a school. When my kids started school age. It started all over again. I though i would be ok. Nope. Just the snell of the school set me off. My kids were homeschooled after my oldest first week. Never looked back.

[@Lunasent]

And it's only gotten worse 😢

[@user-og6wl4vv7s]

I remember back before this happened we use to have tornado drills in school then after this happened we didn't have tornado drills anymore

[@amyg8761]

It would be insane to witness something like this. You would never be the same. I'll never understand why people want to hurt others this badly. The mental health of our youth needs to be taken seriously. I'm glad those two Crumley parents were just found guilty. If you see signs in your own kid get them help. Schools have a huge responsibility in the mental health of kids as well. They spend all day at school, therefore schools are responsible for the children during that time "In loco parentis". My heart goes out to all the families and survivors.

[@dishish]

I was 19 and in colorado and I remember watching this graduation and of course this was way before social media, and I thought wow... let these kids go about their lives. the media sensationalized it and still does.

[@CTF1998]

9:18 That girl in the purple shirt, leading the group, knew Eric and Dylan before the attack and was spared by them

[@HooDie-Trench-GoTh2022]

Hinkelberg?

[@To_The_Moon96]

What does spared mean

[@j04370859]

​@@To_The_Moon96Let go and not killed.

[@smashley4661]

Last year I watched some videos about Columbine. It finally dawned on me that it took place a month before I was born…

[@jessietoney8919]

Back then this was so shocking and unheard of now its sadly nearly a norm. Bullying can drive people to commit horrible acts

[@drifter2805]

This was not about bullying. Good grief wake up

[@bsladakovic2939]

@@drifter2805 It played a big factor. They were psychotic otherwise, their home made videos proves that

[@drifter2805]

@bsladakovic2939 yes, psychotic. My mom's friend since school lives next door to one of the parents. I used to live there. I attended Columbine Elementary

[@deannanorris03]

none of them were bullied.... they had friends

[@brucecampbell4528]

It still is shocking, like extremely unlikely to happen.

[@timbartschwolfman]

25 years ago tomorrow

[@steel115]

Nothing even has changed unfortunately, this just so happens to be one of the worst of the worst

[@beedle2081]

And Sue Klebold out here still trying to say her son was ultimately a good person. Truly wild.

[@shrekxrohankishibe]

No she doesn’t

[@beedle2081]

@@shrekxrohankishibe She literally says it in her interviews. Fool.

[@inglouriousbee]

i can only imagine the kids who experience mass shootings like this and Uvalde and Sandy Hook go through… as a child how does one comprehend and get through that?

[@Gaby_Adriana35]

I was in the 8th or 9th grade when this happened and nothing hasn’t changed 😞🥺

[@maryannhope8276]

💔🙏🏼❤ ☮

[@poobutt5335]

And nothing has changed

[@thevicious86]

I remember my mom asked me what I was scared about going to high school and I said getting shot.. that was in 2001

[@Abcdefghijk920]

And what has changed since this? Not a damn thing

[@deborahlockwood2610]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@godifiedsaint201]

😢

[@daniellelandi1142]

I can’t believe it’s been 25 years since it happened I was 10 years old. Rip to all the victim's

[@leahmoore6820]

And the only thing that changed was more cameras in schools.

[@steelpipetv2073]

The swat team should be ashamed of themselves they could of saved more lives

[@petrinajc]

It wasn’t a thing they were trained to deal with. It wasn’t normal to have school shootings at this time in history. Now’s it just normalized this was the beginning of the end for school safety

[@candicane1]

That was the first time a mass shooting of that magnitude happened in school. Unfortunately, they weren’t trained then on how to handle those situations. How, the Ulvade law enforcement should be ashamed! They had plenty of training and were cowards!

[@MrLivvyfan]

Look at broken families and why these shooters are on depression medicines or should be mental medicines. And why shooters all are bullied.

[@spike16965]

I was in the 8th grade back in 99, but was supposed to be in 9th. I remember Columbine happening like it was yesterday. Even though from Ky, I Definitely lost my innocence and security that day. Goodbye freedom in schools and hello Cameras and security. Just sad two kids couldn’t look beyond their own misery and ending so many innocent lives for a brief chapter in life. I hated school too, but I knew once it was done I never saw them people again. I blame a-lot of school shootings on the parents as well society in itself. Bullying was a huge problem back then and still is. A-lot of factors plaid into Columbine.

[@Kabeyavictoria]

It's not just those who died that day, but we should also count those who were injured both physically and spiritually. A few students committed suicid3 by 2000 and 2001 because they couldn’t deal with the legacy of the sh00ting

[@BIYShacks]

Question of the day, Should The Parents Of The Shooters Be Brought Up On Charges 25 Years Later ?

[@boomds5602]

No

[@brianlemmon3938]

Hear how crazy you sound?

[@lisatbelk]

Different circumstances between Columbine and Oxford school shooting

[@1611_KJV]

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; Psalms 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. Acts 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. . . . ''''' '

[@jillf-ox5lf]

I didn't realize how ingrained this was in my psyche until a fellow teacher and I asked each other if trench coats were against our students dress codesand we came to the conclusion that no, it just felt like it should be to us because we were the same age as those Columbine students. 💔

[@teresaS496]

I can’t believe it was the same year that I was born 😭

[@user-xq2lk6rf1u]

Still going on about this

[@gabrielmikhail7525]

They weren’t trenchcoats they were dusters. Big difference dude.

[@worldtraveler3044]

Both these parents should have been charged & perhaps history would be changed for so many children

[@BlakeMontgomery42099]

No they shouldn't, different circumstances between this and Oxford.

[@vashmatrix5769]

Yet the other side keeps opposing anythibg that protects kids because they want these to happen to push their agenda.

[@BlakeMontgomery42099]

Trueee

[@SonicGlitchmaster1]

Yo, can we stop making these people talk about it? It was 25 years ago and clearly it still affects them deeply all these years later. Stop making them relive it for clout. Let them move on with their lives

[@candicane1]

I don’t think anyone is forcing them. They’re voluntarily discussing it. Maybe it’s cathartic for them.

[@girlfromthebronxbywayofelb7288]

The majority of the USA population supports gun safety legislation. Regain House majority, 60 Senators so we can get legislation passed. 🗽

[@brucecampbell4528]

Or just a thought secure schools and do what the rest of the world has done. Keep our children safe and stop blaming law abiding Americans.

[@spiralrose]

Nothing’s gonna pass it. If it were possible to have smart gun control past, it would’ve been passed by now. People have been trying for decades.

[@spiralrose]

To get SeaWorld to stop breeding orcas, there had to be 30 years of protest and one Human Involved tragedy and the media had to be all over it. We’ve had over 30 years of campaigning for smart gun control, we’ve had tragedy upon tragedy, and the media aren’t shy about getting every detail they can. Not a damn thing has changed

[@boomds5602]

@@brucecampbell4528 lol The rest of the world Doesn’t have guns. I went to school in Canada. Our school doors were never locked, you didn’t have to check in, there wasn’t bullet proof anything or guard at school and never a school shooting

[@girlfromthebronxbywayofelb7288]

@@brucecampbell4528 The rest of the world believes in gun safety regulations. Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Canada, etc. Our population is oversaturated with guns. Guns are very dangerous things, they should be difficult to obtain. Prevention is key, prevention is more possible in a gun control environment. Open carry, no permits? That's chaos. Ask law enforcement how they control something that is out of control.

[@vashmatrix5769]

Yet they still push the evolutionism religion which motivated them.

[@YourSecretIsSafeWithMe]

Why do people give out can goods? Poor people enjoy gift cards and direct cash payments.

[@MoparGuy1625]

Beggers can be choosers.

[@louis-vd3ur]

Neither boys parents have ever made a public apology or interview. They would be able to tell you what happens when you emotionally neglect your children they attack the innocent.

[@Therezumee92]

Don't lie. Klebold's mother has.

[@InTheMourning421]

That is definitely a lie. One of the mothers definitely has spoken openly about it. You also failed to mention that both of those boys were bullied by their peers and the teachers and school did nothing to stop it. Those boys were targeting certain students. The students that bullied them.

[@CharlesMcKinneyIV]

One of the mothers has done TED talks and has advocated against gun violence. These parents lost their children as well we often forget.

[@YourSecretIsSafeWithMe]

@@Therezumee92She was doing book promotion. That’s not an apology. That’s blood money.

[@deannanorris03]

@@InTheMourning421 ummmm no they weren't....... maybe they weren't popular but they weren't bullied they had their own circle of friends

[@user-eo7oh8px9e]

Heather still got the body of a 18 year old

[@emandeli1585]

You have serious issues.

[@monk4ever]

🤮

[@starryeyes90210]

Ewww wtf so weird

[@Noahbarkley-vq3ef]

I thought we decided like 15 yrs ago this was staged?!?!?

[@boomds5602]

Uh no, I guess 15 year ago is when you became a braindead idiot

[@mariee.5912]

Who's we??

[@user-vc1oz9rv6v]

Holy h3ll. Missy Mendo has really let herself go.

[@kimberly_rebecca9271]

Shut up

[@He-lovesnylaaa]

Or maybe she became a mom and had a kids body shaming on a video like this is crazy

[@YEP_THATS_IT11]

I remember watching on TV in 8th Grade, and being terrified to go to HS, I recall the trench coat mafia being a thing after this - so all the goth kids got a side-eye.... but even after all of that, there wasn't alot of worry abt it; but then after 2005-2006 its been hell ever since! We never had to do active shooter drills, our biggest trauma was tornado drills. Our babies will carry this trauma for the rest of their lives!