On April 20, 1999, two students entered Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, carrying weapons and explosives. In less than 20 minutes, 12 students and one teacher were killed, and 21 others were wounded. While it was not the first or the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, this incident permanently changed how America views school safety and law enforcement.
Columbine was the first major school tragedy to unfold live on television. Because national media crews were already nearby covering a different trial, they arrived at the school almost immediately.
At the time, standard training for officers was to set up a perimeter and wait for specialized SWAT teams before entering a building. Because of this delay, some victims at Columbine bled to death while waiting for help. And because of that day, police training has shifted drastically; the priority is now to “stop the killing and stop the dying.” Officers are now trained to enter the building immediately to stop the shooter and get medical help to the injured…