From Columbine to Santa Fe by Henry Mantel
On the morning of April 20, 1999, two students at Columbine High School in Colorado walked into school carrying a Hi-Point 995 Carbine, a 9x19mm Intratec TEC-9 semi-automatic handgun, a Savage-Springfield 67H pump-action shotgun, and a Stevens 311D double-barreled shotgun and proceeded to murder twelve students and one teacher before turning the guns on themselves. At the time, it was the deadliest school shooting in United States history. In the immediate aftermath, there was a lot of talk about what was to blame and what the proper response was. Politicians blamed video games, Marilyn Manson, and bullying, among other things. Several parents of those killed in Columbine blamed guns. Less than two weeks after the shooting, the National Rifle Association held their yearly convention in Denver. Despite protests, the NRA did not cancel the convention. During the convention, NRA President Charlton Heston gave a speech in which he called Columbine an “isolated, terrible event”