The American Jewish Committee Shocked And Deeply Saddened By Mass Murder In Colorado; Urges Everyone To Be More Aware Of Early Warning Signals To Prevent Future Tragedies

American Jewish Committee
Wednesday, 21 April 1999

The American Jewish Committee expresses shock and grief at the mass murder that took place yesterday at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Right now, it is almost impossible to think of anything other than the heartbreak and pain being felt in this small town and around the country. Soon enough, there will be time to grasp the larger implications of this event. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost loved ones, and we pray for a speedy recovery for all those who have been wounded in this tragedy.

It is still too early to know why two students - identified as part of a group called the "trench coat mafia" - decided to kill people at their school. Many factors undoubtedly contributed to this catastrophe, some we may never fully understand. But already we do know of some disturbing clues, and we would urge everyone -- parents, teachers, community leaders, friends -- to be aware of these signs and not to ignore them.

The students chose April 20, Hitler's birthday, to carry out their rampage. It is unlikely that this was coincidence. They were said to have been heard shouting "420" during the attack, and were known to be fascinated with World War II. One of their classmates recalled that the "['trench coat mafia' talked] about Hitler a lot. They take a real pride in him." Others mentioned the group's hatred of minorities and indeed one of the killers was quoted as saying "I hate niggers" during the shootings.

There were other signs that this group was building up its own social structure based on gothic references, hate, violence, paranoia and revenge. They apparently viewed themselves as apart from, and rejected by, their peers and were particularly resentful of school athletes. They reportedly also enjoyed hateful and violent images and music from the Internet.

Millennial madness was apparently another part of this caustic brew. The "trench coat mafia" spoke often about the end of the millenium in doomsday style. According to one of their classmates, the group was known to say, "they might as well kill everybody" as the end of the world was approaching. Revenge, disaffection, hate, and the rationalization that everyone is going to die soon anyway are a potent mix.

Fascination with Adolf Hitler is a clear warning signal, as is the use of Satanic or other hateful images. Another is an obsession with the year 2000, when expressed in violent, threatening, and apocalyptic ways. And of course everyone should be concerned when young people disconnect from family, friends or the larger community. Violent, hateful ideologies and cultures have a particular draw for disaffected youth.

Reacting to the killings, President Clinton said that we must "do more . . . to recognize the early warning signs." All too often, we dismiss odd or troubling behavior or speech among our young people as "a phase" they will ultimately grow out of. Sometimes they will. But failure to pay attention to these warning signs can be a deadly mistake, especially when the behavior includes hateful acts and images.

We must all take greater responsibility to make our schools safer places for our children to learn and grow. By pledging to do more to prevent such horrors in the future, we do the little we can to honor the lives so cruelly cut short and express our deepest respect to the bereaved families and to the community of Littleton.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org