Americans look to Columbine to better understand school shootings — but myths around the shooters have persisted for years

pulse

February 20, 2018 5:45 PM

The Columbine shooters' motives are still misunderstood as a result of false reporting in the first few days after the tragedy.

In 1999, Columbine High School, in Littleton, Colorado, faced at the time the largest school shooting in American history.
Myths about the two shooters and their motives developed in the early reporting on the event.
The shooters weren't goths who were bullied by jocks.

The Columbine High School massacre was like nothing America had ever seen when media coverage began rolling in April 1999. At the time, it was the deadliest school shooting in history, and the nation wanted answers about why the shooters killed 12 students, a teacher, and then themselves. But many details in early reports ended up being false.

Harris, the mastermind of the shooting, wasn't the depressed and bullied student reports initially pegged him. In reality, he was a psychopath. He expressed contempt for society, took pleasure in lying and manipulating others, and lacked empathy. His ability to manipulate resulted in his peers and teachers describing him as nice and well-spoken in the aftermath.

Klebold, by comparison, appeared more like the typical perpetrator of a mass shooter, according to Cullen. "

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