Ex-Columbine Principal Discusses Growing ‘Network of People’ Who ‘Have Been Touched Personally’ By Mass Shootings: ‘I Was in that Situation 23 Years Ago’

CNN’s Anderson Cooper spoke with the former principal of Columbine High School, Frank DeAngelis, about his work supporting the former leaders of other schools that were the scenes of mass shootings.

“Frank, you and Columbine, 12 students, one teacher, Dave Sanders. What was it like to hear about yet another incident, yet another murder?” Cooper asked DeAngelis of Tuesday’s shooting that killed 21 people in Uvalde, Texas.

“Anderson, just devastating. It took me back to Columbine but much more so it took me back to what I experienced when Sandy Hook happened back in 2012, December 14. I was still principal at Columbine, and I remember my phone ringing and just seeking advice or wanted my input,” DeAngelis replied.

“And it just took me back to that day. And the information coming in was not accurate. And all of a sudden they said there were a few that had lost their life, and by the end of the day, the count just kept rising. And just retraumatized me, as I’m sure it did so many others yesterday,” he added.

“I understand you called and you left a message for the principal of Robb Elementary School. What did you want to say to her?” Cooper asked.

“That, you know, I made a comment right after Columbine. I said, you know, I just joined a club in which no one wants to be a member,” DeAngelis responded.

“And I just want to reach out — Columbine happened 23 years ago. Bill Bond who was the principal of [inaudible] high school reached out within a couple days and said, Frank, ‘you don’t even know what you need at this point. But just keep my number,’” he continued.

“And unfortunately since Columbine, I have called all of these schools to just offer support. And not that I have all the answers. But I think when I talk to them and I say, I know what you’re feeling, they realize that, yes, I do, because I was in that situation 23 years ago,” DeAngelis added.

“You know, I mean, it’s extraordinary that there is this network now of people who have been through this themselves who reach out time after time after every incident to those who are now a member of this — as you say, this club who nobody wants to be a part of,” Cooper responded.

“Sandy Phillips, who we talked to earlier, whose daughter was murdered in Aurora, Colorado, in that movie theater, her son who is a first responder came to this scene for his work. His sister was killed in Aurora, Colorado. It’s extraordinary — this has been going on so long, there is a network of people in this country, all of whom have been touched personally by this,” Cooper noted.

“Yes. And I know I’m part of an organization the national association of secondary school principals. And they asked me a few years ago to head up something called the principal recovery network,” DeAngelis replied.

“And there are about 29 of us that have been involved in shootings within our community. So, we reach out and we have guides just to help them wherever we can. And it’s not a one-time phone call. You know, I will be there every step of the way to help them just as people helped me in our community,” continued.

“This may be a dumb question, and ignore it if it is. You know, police have learned a lot since Columbine. They learned what they need to do, what they don’t need to do, what works, what doesn’t, the extent that anything can work about getting in fast or not waiting for a tactical unit, getting in as fast as possible, not waiting, making a perimeter. What have you learned? In all the years, I mean, how do you see this now?” Cooper then asked.

“Well, I think there’s so many lessons learned,” DeAngelis replied, continuing:

You know, and I look at it. When I talk to people, you know, people will say, well, Frank, you’re out there speaking, but these shootings continue to happen. And they do. And one more death is one too many. But the thing that we cannot overlook is how many lives have been saved because of the things we have in place that we didn’t have 23 years ago.

You know, the only drills we did 23 years ago in Colorado were fire drills. Now, these kids, from a very early age, are learning, you know, lockdown, out of sight. The response of police officers because most of these events are over within five minutes. And so it’s — just listening to the police talk prior to me coming on is just amazing the lives that they were able to save by getting there. But what’s unfortunate — I made a comment 23 years ago that I said I hope these are kids — my beloved 13 did not die in vain. But these shootings continue to happen. We’ve got to come up with a solution.

I think back to Parkland, which occurred on Valentine’s Day of 2018 and everybody was fired up and we’ve got to do things. And the students were stating, you adults have let us down. We need to do something. Now four years later, we’re having these same discussions.

“It’s time to stop talking and start doing things,” DeAngelis added. “And the one thing that all of our kids, whether it be Colorado, Connecticut, Texas, all of our kids to experience what we have yesterday is just unthinkable. And I know last night there were — every parent hugged their child as they came home last night, they put them in bed just wondering, you know, there’s no guarantees. And we can’t allow this evil to win out.”

Watch the full clip via CNN