Columbine High School (CHS) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

Columbine, Colorado Columbine is census-designated place (CDP) in and governed by Jefferson and Arapahoe counties in Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located primarily in Jefferson Cou ...

, United States, in the

Denver metropolitan area Denver is the central city of a conurbation region in the U.S. state of Colorado. The conurbation includes one continuous region consisting of the six central counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson. The Denver r ...

. It is part of the Jefferson County Public Schools district. In 1999, it became the scene of an infamous mass shooting, where 12 students and one teacher were murdered by senior students

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold Eric David Harris (April 9, 1981 – April 20, 1999) and Dylan Bennet Klebold (; September 11, 1981 – April 20, 1999) were an American mass murder duo who perpetrated the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. Harris and Klebol ...

before the pair committed suicide.

History

Columbine High School opened in 1973 with a capacity for 1,652 students. It was named after the surrounding community of Columbine, which in turn was named after the state flower of Colorado: the columbine. The school's first principal was Gerald Difford. There was no senior class during the school's first year; its first graduating class was in 1975. The school colors were selected through a vote by students at Ken Caryl Junior High School and Bear Creek High School, who were the first to attend Columbine High School when it opened in 1973. The school has undergone significant renovations since it first opened: in 1995, with the addition of a new cafeteria and library; in 1999–2000 (after the massacre), with interior renovations to the corridors, cafeteria, and former library; and in the early 2000s, with the addition of the new HOPE Columbine Memorial Library and a

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of ...

on the site.

Massacre

Columbine High School was the site of one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern United States history. The shootings occurred on April 20, 1999, when senior students

killed twelve students and a teacher, and wounded 24 others, before they both committed suicide. The massacre made headlines both nationally and internationally, making Columbine a household name, and causing a

moral panic A moral panic is a widespread feeling of fear, often an irrational one, that some evil person or thing threatens the values, interests, or well-being of a community or society. It is "the process of arousing social concern over an issue", us ...

in U.S. high schools. It was the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history until February 14, 2018, when 17 people were killed in the

Stoneman Douglas High School shooting On February 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the Miami suburban town of Parkland, Florida, murdering 17 people and injuring 17 others. Cruz, a former student at ...

. After the shooting, classes at Columbine were held at nearby Chatfield Senior High for the remaining three weeks of that school year. The school went through a major renovation in 1995, just four years before the massacre, adding a new library and cafeteria. After the shootings, Columbine completely demolished its library, located above the cafeteria, since it was the site where the majority of the deaths occurred. The site was then turned into a memorial ceiling and atrium; a new, larger library was built on the hill where the shooting began and dedicated to the memory of the victims. By 2019, the school remained a " macabre tourist attraction" for those fascinated by the massacre, with hundreds stopped annually caught trespassing on the grounds or trying to enter the buildings. In June 2019, the superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools proposed tearing down the school and rebuilding it more securely to lessen its "morbid fascination".

Attendance zone

Its attendance zone includes the Columbine CDP.

Notable students

Darrel Akerfelds Darrel Wayne Akerfelds (June 12, 1962 – June 24, 2012) was a professional baseball pitcher. He also served as the bullpen coach of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres, from until his death. He also pitched in the major leagues in par ...

–

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...

playing with the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

, Texas Rangers and

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

from 1986 through 1991 *

Cassie Bernall Cassie René Bernall (November 6, 1981April 20, 1999) was a student who was killed in the Columbine High School massacre, where 11 more students and a teacher were killed by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who then committed suicide. It was repo ...

– one of the 13 victims of the

Columbine High School massacre On April 20, 1999, a school shooting and attempted bombing occurred at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, 12th grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and one teacher. ...

Sera Cahoone Sera Cahoone (born August 4, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington. Cahoone's music combines elements of classic country-western and modern indie rock and lo-fi music. She works as a drummer, especially with the bands C ...

– singer-songwriter * Austin Eubanks – motivational speaker on drug addiction and recovery, and injured survivor of the

Skip Ewing Donald Ralph "Skip" Ewing (born March 6, 1964) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Active since 1988, Ewing has recorded nine studio albums and has charted 15 singles on the ''Billboard'' country charts. Career Ewing was born ...

– country songwriter and artist *

Eric Harris Eric David Harris (April 9, 1981 – April 20, 1999) and Dylan Bennet Klebold (; September 11, 1981 – April 20, 1999) were an American mass murder duo who perpetrated the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. Harris and Klebold ...

– one of the perpetrators of the

* Wes Hart –

MLS Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

player who last played for the

San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchise ...

in 2005 * Allan Kayser – actor who played "Bubba" in the sitcom '' Mama's Family'' *

Dylan Klebold Eric David Harris (April 9, 1981 – April 20, 1999) and Dylan Bennet Klebold (; September 11, 1981 – April 20, 1999) were an American mass murder duo who perpetrated the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. Harris and Klebol ...

– one of the perpetrators of the

Sue Manteris Sunanda Tripathi-Manteris (born June 20, 1962) is an Indian-born United States, American account executive and former journalist at the NBC affiliate in Las Vegas, Nevada, KSNV, KSNV-DT. Manteris was raised in Littleton, Colorado, Littleton, Color ...

– newscaster on Las Vegas TV media and channel 3; played CNN reporter Sue Tripathi in '' Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous'' *

Todd Park Mohr Todd Park Mohr (born October 19, 1965) is the singer and guitarist for the American rock band Big Head Todd and the Monsters, as well as being their namesake and primary lyricist. A founding member of the band, he also occasionally provides keyb ...

–

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

ist and

vocalist Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

of Big Head Todd and the Monsters * Patrick Neville – politician *

Jeanie Schroder Jeanie is a feminine given name in the English language. People with the given name *Jeanie Buss, president of the Los Angeles Lakers *Jeanie Deans (disambiguation) *Jeanie Johnson *Jeanie Lee, known as Gin Lee, Malaysian singer *Jeanie MacPhers ...

– member of DeVotchKa *

Rachel Scott Rachel Joy Scott (August 5, 1981 – April 20, 1999) was an American student who was the first fatality of the Columbine High School massacre, in which 11 other students and a teacher were also murdered by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who th ...

– the first of the 13 victims of the

; the youth program

Rachel's Challenge Rachel's Challenge is an organization in the United States that works to reduce violence. It is a non-religious, non-profit, non-political organization, led by Darrell Scott and his wife Sandy. Rachel Scott was the first student to be killed in th ...

was created in her memory *

Longmont Potion Castle Longmont Potion Castle (born 1972) is a musician and experimental prankster who has been active in Colorado, Los Angeles, and Seattle since 1986. Details about his personal life are scarce, and his real name is unknown to the public. Over the ye ...

– comedian and musician known for albums of recorded absurdist prank calls *

Woody Kincaid William "Woody" Kincaid (born September 21, 1992) is an American long-distance runner. He won the gold medal for the 5000 meters at the 2022 NACAC Championships. Kincaid is the North American indoor record holder in that event. High school Wo ...

– American long-distance runner for

Bowerman Track Club The Bowerman Track Club (BTC) is an American training group sponsored by Nike, Inc. for professional distance runners as well as a separate recreational club for casual runners. The professional team is supported by head coach Jerry Schumacher a ...

References

External links