A Columbine Survivor On Mass Shootings and Gun Control

FEATURING RICHARD CASTALDO – This year marked the 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado. Over the past 20 years mass shootings in schools and other public places have increased and the overall death toll from gun violence in the US has skyrocketed.

The standard politician’s response after every mass shooting is to send “thoughts and prayers” with any attempt at organizing against guns dismissed as “politicizing” a tragedy. In the wake of 2 back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, there is some lip service being paid to expanding background checks for gun purchases, but not much else despite the fact that public support for such checks, and for an assault weapons ban remains high.

We turn today to a man who knows first hand the impacts of gun violence.

Richard Castaldo, survivor of Columbine shooting.