Lessons From Tragedy

How K–12 and College Shootings Have Shaped School Safety Since 1999

By John Fisher (assisted by AI)

The history of school and campus shootings in the United States has reshaped how we think about safety, prevention, and intervention. From Columbine in 1999 to Virginia Tech, Arapahoe, and Parkland, each tragedy revealed missed warning signs—along with opportunities to prevent future attacks. Two leading experts in the field, Ms. Susan Payne and Dr. Sarah Goodrum, have spent decades studying these incidents and helping schools implement effective safety strategies. Their insights offer a clear picture of how school violence has evolved and what we’ve learned along the way.

From Columbine to Today

Columbine in 1999 marked a turning point. As Ms. Payne explained:

“Columbine was the first major mass-media school shooting. It changed how law enforcement responds and how communities protect students.”

At the time, police were trained to set up a perimeter and wait for specialized units. Columbine revealed serious flaws in that approach. It also exposed the dangers of unshared information—both the school and law enforcement had concerning reports about the attackers, but the pieces were never connected.

The tragedy prompted Colorado to create Safe2Tell, a confidential reporting tool that empowered students to speak up early about threats, bullying, or harmful behavior. Utah later adapted this model into SafeUT.

Virginia Tech

The 2007 Virginia Tech shooting remains one of the deadliest attacks on a college campus. Dr. Goodrum noted:

“Even with strong policies in place, tragedies can show us gaps in implementation—especially in how we respond to students of concern after an assessment.”

Families and survivors helped shape nationwide reforms that strengthened the role of campus threat assessment teams and improved communication between departments.

Arapahoe, Parkland, and Missed Opportunities

The 2013 Arapahoe High School shooting demonstrated that training alone isn’t enough. Follow-up and long-term monitoring matter just as much as initial assessment.

Parkland revealed over 100 missed opportunities to intervene. The attacker had dozens of police contacts and disciplinary referrals—clear warning signs that were never effectively connected.

These patterns highlight the need for consistent, coordinated approaches to identifying and managing individuals on the pathway to violence.

Conclusion

The history of school and campus shootings is painful, but it has taught us how to intervene earlier and more effectively. Each case—Columbine, Virginia Tech, Arapahoe, Parkland—reveals the same message: information must be shared, warning signs must be recognized, and intervention must be consistent. Understanding this history is essential to building safer schools and campuses today.