A Columbine Survivor S Story

Marjorie Lindholm was a sophomore at Columbine High School. In early April, 1999 she was a cheerleader with big plans. On April 20, 1999, she spent over four hours in a science room during the deadliest siege on an American school in recent history. She watched as her favorite teacher slowly bled to death. She saw her life flash before her eyes. It changed her life. This is her story.

Kacey Ruegsegger was shot in the shoulder in the Columbine High School massacre. She survived the shooting and the resulting PTSD as well as the many disappointments caused by her injury. This is her journey from pain to healing to a reclaimed life.

Ten years in the works, a masterpiece of reportage, this is the definitive account of the Columbine massacre, its aftermath, and its significance, from the acclaimed journalist who followed the story from the outset. "The tragedies keep coming. As we reel from the latest horror . . ." So begins a new epilogue, illustrating how Columbine became the template for nearly two decades of "spectacle murders." It is a false script, seized upon by a generation of new killers. In the wake of Newtown, Aurora, and Virginia Tech, the imperative to understand the crime that sparked this plague grows more urgent every year. What really happened April 20, 1999? The horror left an indelible stamp on the American psyche, but most of what we "know" is wrong. It wasn't about jocks, Goths, or the Trench Coat Mafia. Dave Cullen was one of the first reporters on scene, and spent ten years on this book-widely recognized as the definitive account. With a keen investigative eye and psychological acumen, he draws on mountains of evidence, insight from the world's leading forensic psychologists, and the killers' own words and drawings-several reproduced in a new appendix. Cullen paints raw portraits of two polar opposite killers. They contrast starkly with the flashes of resilience and redemption among the survivors. Expanded with a New Epilogue

"The mother of one of the two shooters at Columbine High School draws on personal recollections, journal entries and video recordings to piece together what led to her son's unpredicted breakdown and share insights into how other families might recognize warning signs,"--NoveList.

A New York Times Bestseller "A moving petition to America that it not look away from the catastrophes at Columbine, Newtown, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, and, yes, Parkland. It succeeds as an in-depth report about the “generational campaign” in the aftermath of the Parkland tragedy, a bi-partisan movement advocating serious gun reform.” — Atlanta Journal-Constitution The acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of Columbine offers an intimate, deeply moving account of the extraordinary teenage survivors who became activists and pushed back against the NRA and feckless Congressional leaders—inspiring millions of Americans to join their grassroots #neveragain movement. Nineteen years ago, Dave Cullen was among the first to arrive at Columbine High, even before most of the SWAT teams went in. While writing his acclaimed account of the tragedy, he suffered two bouts of secondary PTSD. He covered all the later tragedies from a distance, working with a cadre of experts cultivated from academia and the FBI, but swore he would never return to the scene of a ghastly crime. But in March 2018, Cullen went to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School because something radically different was happening. In nearly twenty years witnessing the mass shootings epidemic escalate, he was stunned and awed by the courage, anger, and conviction of the high school’s students. Refusing to allow adults and the media to shape their story, these remarkable adolescents took control, using their grief as a catalyst for change, transforming tragedy into a movement of astonishing hope that has galvanized a nation. Cullen unfolds the story of Parkland through the voices of key participants whose diverse personalities and outlooks comprise every facet of the movement. Instead of taking us into the mind of the killer, he takes us into the hearts of the Douglas students as they cope with the common concerns of high school students everywhere—awaiting college acceptance letters, studying for mid-term exams, competing against their athletic rivals, putting together the yearbook, staging the musical Spring Awakening, enjoying prom and graduation—while moving forward from a horrific event that has altered them forever. Deeply researched and beautifully told, Parkland is an in-depth examination of this pivotal moment in American culture—and an up-close portrait that reveals what these extraordinary young people are like. As it celebrates the passion of these astonishing students who are making history, this spellbinding book is an inspiring call to action for lasting change.

The result of 15 years of research and exclusive information, this is the first book of investigative journalism to tell the complete story of Littleton, Colorado’s 1999 mass shooting, its far-reaching consequences, and common characteristics among public shooters across the country. A classic in the tradition of In Cold Blood and The Executioner's Song, it comprehensively explores fundamental American themes of violence, racism, parenting, and policing. This updated and revised edition concludes with new material about public shootings since Columbine and how communities can stop such horrific events from happening in the future.

From New York Times bestseller Kody Keplinger comes an astonishing and thought-provoking exploration of the aftermath of tragedy, the power of narrative, and how we remember what we've lost. It's been three years since the Virgil County High School Massacre. Three years since my best friend, Sarah, was killed in a bathroom stall during the mass shooting. Everyone knows Sarah's story--that she died proclaiming her faith. But it's not true. I know because I was with her when she died. I didn't say anything then, and people got hurt because of it. Now Sarah's parents are publishing a book about her, so this might be my last chance to set the record straight . . . but I'm not the only survivor with a story to tell about what did--and didn't--happen that day. Except Sarah's martyrdom is important to a lot of people, people who don't take kindly to what I'm trying to do. And the more I learn, the less certain I am about what's right. I don't know what will be worse: the guilt of staying silent or the consequences of speaking up . . .

How does someone recover from the worst school shooting in U.S. history? On April 20, 1999, Kristen Long Krueger survived the Columbine High School shooting, which took the lives of thirteen people plus the two teenaged shooters. For the next five years, Kristen lived in a fog. Then she decided she was ready to grow, heal, and rebuild her life. In Healing the Invisible Wounds of Trauma, Kristen recounts her story of the tragic events of that day and the brave steps she made to find healing and freedom. She explains: Time does not heal all wounds The symptoms and struggles of PTSD are normal, not pathological People react to their trauma in different ways Krueger demystifies the misunderstandings and distortions about trauma, bridging the gap between what professionals and talking heads want you to believe and the truth from a survivor. Your true identity-including your past-lies on the other side of your healing. Kristen Krueger shows you how to find it.