Obsession with 1999 attack could shape Columbine’s future

DENVER (AP) — Two decades after the name “Columbine” became synonymous with a school shooting, the suburban Denver community surrounding the school is debating whether it’s time to tear down a building that also became a beacon for people obsessed with the killings.

School officials said the number of people trying to get close to or even inside the school reached record levels this year and they worry that growth will continue unabated.

Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Jason Glass says security staff contacted more than 2,400 “unauthorized” visitors on Columbine’s campus this year.

The threats are no secret, but the idea of knocking down a school central to the community’s identity is rousing old pain and emotion — particularly for staff and students who survived the 1999 attack that killed 13 people.