On October 9, 2020, Columbine was born. Last week we celebrated its fifth anniversary and today we remember what it stands for, what it mourns, and why we must keep talking about it.
INTRODUCTION
This week marks the fifth anniversary of our song Columbine, released on October 9, 2020.We remember the lives lost on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School - twelve students and one teacher whose names must never fade. Their story began twenty-six years ago, yet its echo has never stopped.
Gun violence in the United States continues to rise. It remains the leading cause of death for children and teenagers, and more than 337 mass shootings have already occurred in 2025 alone. Every new tragedy reminds us that almost nothing has changed since 1999, Columbine.
THE CASE
Date: April 20, 1999Location: Columbine High School, Littleton, Colorado, USAFatalities: 13 (12 students, 1 teacher)Injured: 24Perpetrators: Two students, aged 17 and 18, who took their own lives at the scene.
At approximately 11:19 a.m., the perpetrators opened fire outside the school before moving inside, where they continued their assault for nearly 50 minutes. They used semiautomatic weapons and homemade explosives. SWAT teams entered hours later, finding the gunmen dead in the library.
Columbine was not the first school shooting in the United States, but it became a symbol - a turning point. It was broadcast worldwide, and its aftermath marked the beginning of an era where lockdown drills, bulletproof backpacks, and media debates replaced real reform.
THE VICTIMS
We remember their names, their faces, and the promise of the lives they never got to live.
Rachel Joy Scott, 17Daniel Lee Rohrbough, 15Cassie René Bernall, 17Steven Robert Curnow, 14Corey Tyler DePooter, 17Kelly Ann Fleming, 16Matthew Joseph Kechter, 16Daniel Conner Mauser, 15Isaiah Eamon Shoels, 18John Thomas Tomlin, 16Lauren Dawn Townsend, 18William “Dave” Sanders, 47 (Teacher)
WHY “COLUMBINE”
When I investigated Columbine, I wanted to write and confront the truth that nothing has changed since 1999. We are still living in a time when children die in their classrooms, where mourning becomes routine, and where headlines fade faster than the tears of the people left behind.
Gun violence has remained a permanent wound. After decades of vigils, promises, and political theater, the core issue has not moved. We have normalized the unthinkable.
The song was born from that (my/our) frustration: from the disbelief that after so many years, so many deaths, we still live in a world where “thoughts and prayers” have replaced action.
WHY IT SOUNDS THE WAY IT DOES
The ratata refrain was intentional. It is provocative, yes, but also symbolic.It allowed me to tell the story through sound, to let the rhythm of the violence speak louder than words. Each ratata mirrors the shots fired at Columbine. It is a sonic re-creation of what happened that day: a moment of horror that should never feel comfortable to listen to.
Music can hold space for empathy, but sometimes it also needs to confront.We wanted listeners to experience the unease, the pulse, the brutality, not just as entertainment, but as remembrance.
Art should never be afraid to disturb if the truth itself is disturbing.
WHY THE LYRICS ARE SO SHORT
The lyrics are deliberately minimal. That simplicity mirrors the way society reacts to these events: people pray, they cry, they post, and then they move on.News cycles shorten, grief becomes background noise, and another school joins the list.
By keeping the words brief, I wanted to reflect that emptiness: the silence that follows the chaos, the numbness that replaces outrage.
ABOUT BILL $ABER
Bill $aber was a wonderful addition to Columbine.He brought depth, darkness, and a sense of gravity that we absolutely loved and wanted for this song. His voice added another layer, the weight, the echo, the haunting presence that the track needed to feel complete.
Working with him was effortless. He was cool, grounded, and incredibly easy to work with.At this point I want to say it again: thank you, Bill, for contributing your art and your voice, for giving Columbine the depth and darkness, Father and I, wanted it to have.
THE PURPOSE
Columbine was never about glorifying violence. It was written to expose it, to confront it, and to remind us that awareness without action is just another form of apathy.
I know the song provokes. It should.Because as long as people keep talking about it, keep questioning it, the conversation is alive. And as long as we keep that conversation alive, there is still a chance for change.
SEEING THE SIGNS
We cannot look away. This is not about blaming mental illness. Research shows that most people living with mental health conditions are not violent and are far more likely to be victims rather than perpetrators. The real issue lies in access, neglect, and missed opportunities for intervention. It should never be possible for a child or a teenager to obtain a firearm capable of mass harm.
We need to take mental health seriously, not as an excuse, but as a vital part of prevention. Studies by the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI show that school shootings are rarely impulsive acts. They are the final stage of a process that often begins with social isolation, humiliation, untreated depression, and an increasing fixation on violence.
No one simply wakes up one morning and decides to kill. It is an accumulation of pain, anger, alienation, and easy access to weapons. When warning signs are seen and understood early - changes in behavior, expressions of despair, fascination with past shootings - many tragedies can be prevented.
If we choose to look closer, to listen instead of dismiss, and to recognize the warning signs, we can interrupt the cycle before it explodes. Prevention begins with awareness, empathy, and responsibility.
BTS: Columbine
I’ve added some never-before-seen behind-the-scenes material from the Columbine video, moments from the set that shaped the atmosphere you see on screen.This space is where I can share what’s hidden beneath the surface. Thank you for keeping it sacred.
-SKYND🖤