Himaja RamayanamApril 9, 2014The Columbine shooting and the theories that apply to the killersThis essay will discuss one of the deadliest school shootings that killed 13 students and injured several. On April 20, 1999, two teenagers went on a shooting rampage, killing 13 people and injuring several others before turning their guns on themselves and committing suicide. The Columbine shooting, one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history, has sparked a debate over gun control and school safety. This essay will highlight the true cause of the shooters' actions and apply two theories of juvenile delinquency to them. On April 20, 1999, in a small town of Littleton, Colorado, two high school students, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, dressed in trench coats began shooting outside of Columbine High School. The two boys then moved inside the school and shot numerous students in the library. Upon investigation, it was found that the two boys had arrived in two separate cars. Initially, they entered the school with two bags full of bombs set at 11:17 a.m. and placed these bags in the cafeteria with the aim of killing hundreds of students and teachers. They left these bags in the cafeteria without anyone noticing and got out in their car to observe them. When the bombs failed to detonate, Dylan and Harris engaged in a shootout. Shooters Background: Eric Harris: Born April 9, 1981 in Kansas. Harris' father was in the United States Air Force and moved the family several times before retiring and moving his family to Littleton, Colorado in 1993. Harris was talkative and volatile. Harris did not fit in at school and began to develop a hatred for school. Dylan Klebold: Born September 11, 1981 in Colorado, Klebo...... middle of paper ...... appreciates that school shootings occur when the perpetrator's connection to society weakens, also known as diminished share capital. Referring to Harris's Milk's writings about how much he hated the world, this explains how he was detached from society and how he developed a hatred against society. Another theory that could relate to the Columbine shootings is Sampson and Laub's age classification theory which states that the offender's behavior is the result of a life event. Harris' father, as an Air Force officer, moved around so many different places that Harris never had the chance to stay put and make friends. Moving to so many places could be a life-changing event and could impact one's social life. Klebold being a quiet and shy person and his depression of not being able to fit in with any clique made him vulnerable to bullying, which could be considered life-threatening. changing event.