Columbine High School Massacre - The Search For Rationale

The Search For Rationale

In the aftermath, a great deal of speculation occurred about the killers' motivation and whether anything could have prevented the crime. Unlike many previous school shootings, the fact that both shooters committed suicide made the Columbine High School massacre particularly difficult to assess.

In their investigation into how Harris and Klebold had acquired their firearms, police did learn the pair had acquired one of the weapons used through a friend named Mark Manes. Manes and another individual, Philip Duran, who had introduced the duo to Manes, were eventually prosecuted for their roles in supplying guns to Harris and Klebold. Each was charged with supplying a handgun to a minor and possession of a sawed-off shotgun. Manes and Duran were sentenced to a total of six years and four-and-a-half years in prison respectively.