On April 20, 1999, two teenage boys went on a killing spree at Columbine High School in suburban Denver, killing 12 classmates and a teacher, and wounding two dozen others before taking their own lives. The two attackers, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, had planned their endgame, while students like Sarah DeBoer were unaware of the horror that was about to unfold. As the pair opened fire in the school, chaos and confusion reigned, with students and teachers hiding wherever they could to escape the gunmen.
The attack began in the school parking lot, where students like Wade Frank witnessed the shooters casually walking and firing at anything that looked human. As Klebold and Harris made their way inside the school, they continued their rampage, tossing homemade grenades and shooting at students in the cafeteria. Students tried to hide, while others managed to escape the building and seek refuge in nearby areas. Law enforcement officials, including Sheriff’s Deputy Neil Gardner, arrived on the scene and began evacuating students and engaging with the gunmen.
The scene inside the school library was one of terror, as the gunmen targeted students, playing “peek-a-boo” with those hiding under desks. The attackers showed no mercy, making racial comments and targeting specific groups of students. By the time the shooting ended, 12 students were dead. The SWAT team arrived and began sweeping the building, encountering potential bombs left behind by the attackers. In the aftermath, students were freed and reunited with their parents, while the bodies of the attackers were found in the library.
The following day, a sense of mourning enveloped the community, as people gathered at nearby Clement Park to mourn the victims and try to make sense of the tragedy. Students like Sarah DeBoer and Stephanie Williams, who had experienced the terror firsthand, grappled with the aftermath, expressing a sense of defiance in returning to the school and not letting the attackers win. The lasting impact of the Columbine High School shooting would reverberate for years, leading to changes in school security protocols and heightened awareness of mental health issues among students. Twenty-five years later, the memory of that fateful day still lingers in the minds of those who lived through the horror.
