On April 20, 1999, seniors Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into Columbine High School to execute an attack they had planned for over a year. In this episode of pplpod, we break down the timeline of the massacre, which resulted in the deaths of 12 students and one teacher, and examine how a failure in the perpetrators' homemade propane bombs turned a planned explosion into the deadliest school shooting in US history at the time.

We explore the "Basement Tapes" and journals that revealed the pair's arsenal of 99 explosives and their desire for notoriety, while debunking persistent myths regarding the "Trench Coat Mafia" and bullying as primary motivators. Instead, we look at the FBI’s theory regarding the shooters' mental health profiles—psychopathy and depression—and the influence of violent media.

Finally, we discuss the profound ...