KC community reflects on area school shootings 25 years after Columbine [Video]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — April 20, 2024, marks 25 years since the Columbine High School massacre, which is known for being one of the first mass school shootings to result in drastic security measures like security guards and metal detectors.

Since Columbine, there have been over 2,000 school shootings in the United States, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database’s definition of a school shooting, which “includes any incident when a gun has been brandished, fired or when a bullet has hit school property, regardless of the number of victims, time, day or reason.”

Shootings at Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, have made national headlines in the quarter-century since Columbine.

In the Kansas City area, the most recent incident occurred in March 2024 when someone opened fire on school property at North Kansas City High School after a Saturday evening basketball game and debate tournament.

The most recent event in the area …