Highlands Ranch school shooting (crime, neighborhood, high school)

[Sir Quotes A Lot]

Originally Posted by Timmyy

How far is not too far from the area? Ken Caryl/Columbine area is about 8 miles away. Do you come here often? If not, you don't have a good sense of how people are here. Aren't you the same poster that isn't happy in the Denver Metro area?

I may sound defensive but that is because there are a lot criticism from people outside of Highlands Ranch that have no clue what it is like to live here, let alone socialize here. It is quite pervasive. I don't care if people don't like it here but don't make up s*** to fit your narrative of the area.

Four years ago, this happened a short distance away from the STEM High School.

Teens plotted mass shooting at Mountain Vista High School, subsequent suicide, affidavit shows

Why?

This is a serious question. If these communities are so harmonious, why are these sorts of things happening in places like Highlands Ranch, Litttleton, Parkland, Newtown, etc? Why not Compton? Why not Detroit? Why not Newark? Why do kids in upper middle class areas seem to be drawn to this behavior?

[Timmyy]

Originally Posted by Sir Quotes A Lot

Four years ago, this happened a short distance away from the STEM High School.

Teens plotted mass shooting at Mountain Vista High School, subsequent suicide, affidavit shows

Why?

This is a serious question. If it's so harmonious there, why are these sorts of things happening in places like Highlands Ranch? Why do kids in upper middle class areas seem to be drawn to this behavior?

Yes, I remember that. I can't answer why. Were they bullied? Possibly. Mental health issue? Definitely. I have friends that have kids that go to Mountain Vista. According to them the school is a pretty cool school to attend but there is a bullying element as there is at all schools unfortunately.
Could have happened anywhere in the metro area. Kids isolate themselves and literally can find anything on the internet that will help them cope and even lash out. To blame this on just the Highlands Ranch culture is just absurd. The parents are part of the problem too.

I don't have my head in the sand about this. My wife is a teacher at a school in Highlands Ranch. She knows first hand the fear these shootings and lock downs have on the younger students. She can also point out the students whose parents don't give a rip about their children and just let them do what they want. Stay involved with your kids no matter how much they seem annoyed with you.

[emm74]

Originally Posted by Sir Quotes A Lot

Four years ago, this happened a short distance away from the STEM High School.

Teens plotted mass shooting at Mountain Vista High School, subsequent suicide, affidavit shows

Why?

This is a serious question. If these communities are so harmonious, why are these sorts of things happening in places like Highlands Ranch, Litttleton, Parkland, Newtown, etc? Why do kids in upper middle class areas seem to be drawn to this behavior?

I'd say that this is happening all over, it's that when it happens in predominantly white, upper middle class areas, that is when it makes the top news stories. It happens all over, you just aren't reading about it.

And yes, this has been a terrible thing. I was actually surprised how hard I took it when I heard that there had been a fatality after all, I was holding hope that since no one was declared at the scene, it might end up ok, with every ending up intact, at least physically.

Bottom line is that there is not enough emphasis on mental health and too many damn guns. If this happened with the parents gun(s) which were left accessible to their children, I hope the parents end up in jail too.

[katharsis]

I live less than five miles from Columbine and about 12 miles from the HR STEM school. When I first moved to this area in 1989, I would have disagreed very strongly about people here being "aloof" or unfriendly. However, I did leave Colorado from 2004-07, but when I returned to the same area, I was struck by how things had changed. Of course, this is just my impression and NOT objective at all, but it did seem to me that people were not nearly as open and friendly as they had been 20 years ago.

I don't know what to attribute this change to (if there was indeed a change), but I suspect that it was a result of the increased population here, a change in attitudes and increased general depression due to 9/11 and other acts of terrorism, and the increasing divide between liberals and conservatives. Again, this is just my impression and opinion, but it seems that people today are much more wary of making friends and being "open" because the media (who I also blame to a very large degree) makes it seem, imo, that one is risking one's life if she or he dares say anything that might possibly offend someone else.

[Sir Quotes A Lot]

Originally Posted by Timmyy

Yes, I remember that. I can't answer why. Were they bullied? Possibly. Mental health issue? Definitely.
Could have happened anywhere in the metro area. Kids isolate themselves and literally can find anything on the internet that will help them cope and even lash out. To blame this on just the Highlands Ranch culture is just absurd. The parents are part of the problem too.

But it's not. It's happening in your back yard, and other communities like it.

So again...why? These kids have so many more resources than I ever did growing up in a blue collar community. The types of advanced programs they have at school (engineering, computer science, etc.), the amount of resources they have at home for additional support (mentors, nannies, tutors, etc.), the ability to afford psychological counselling sessions, etc.

Are they just 'soft'? Has too much helicopter parenting prevented these kids from dealing with difficult situations on their own? Are they overloaded with stressors (being too perfect)? Are their parents simply too busy to be parents?

I'm really fascinated by this trend, and the dichotomy of coping between upper middle class struggles and lower class struggles.

[Timmyy]

Originally Posted by emm74

I'd say that this is happening all over, it's that when it happens in predominantly white, upper middle class areas, that is when it makes the top news stories. It happens all over, you just aren't reading about it.

And yes, this has been a terrible thing. I was actually surprised how hard I took it when I heard that there had been a fatality after all, I was holding hope that since no one was declared at the scene, it might end up ok, with every ending up intact, at least physically.

Bottom line is that there is not enough emphasis on mental health and too many damn guns. If this happened with the parents gun(s) which were left accessible to their children, I hope the parents end up in jail too.

Thank you. The mental health stigma has to stop in this country. It is real and needs to be brought up to the forefront and it has to start at a young age.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Sir Quotes A Lot

Great! More school shootings in upper middle class suburbia.

I always wonder what these kids with all their money and resources are so damn anxious and/or depressed about. And it's not just these kids. Just about every affluent, privileged person my age that I know is depressed/anxious, on all sorts of meds, etc. Growing up lower middle class seems like it was a blessing in disguise to me now.

I'm tired of reading headlines like this.

It goes deeper than that. I know a lot of kids and young adults that are middle and upper middle class who are not depressed at all. What we are all seeing is the result of social media and 24/7 news. Bad things have always happened and will continue to happen. WE don't hear as much about things like shootings in teh inner city because they are spending time shooting each other on the streets.

I could speculate that a lot of this is due to the decline of the family unit: not enough direct communication with family, the lack of going to church as a family anymore and the lacking of morals, but again, these things just scratch the surface. All I can say, is, my kids and grand kids are happy young and middle aged adults. So are their kids in the case of my grand kids that now have kids of their own.

[Sir Quotes A Lot]

Originally Posted by nmnita

It goes deeper than that. I know a lot of kids and young adults that are middle and upper middle class who are not depressed at all. What we are all seeing is the result of social media and 24/7 news. Bad things have always happened and will continue to happen. WE don't hear as much about things like shootings in teh inner city because they are spending time shooting each other on the streets.

I could speculate that a lot of this is due to the decline of the family unit: not enough direct communication with family, the lack of going to church as a family anymore and the lacking of morals, but again, these things just scratch the surface. All I can say, is, my kids and grand kids are happy young and middle aged adults. So are their kids in the case of my grand kids that now have kids of their own.

As far as the bolded, I do think that is a contributor to the angst and depression cultivating in young, immature minds.

You're constantly trying to compare yourself to everyone else's best self. I got rid of my social media accounts years ago, and it has definitely been beneficial in more than one way.

[katharsis]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

The Douglas County Sheriff and the District Attorney did stellar jobs representing
our area and State in their News Brief this morning.
I already knew the Governor could hold his own.
Proud of all of them for CO.

I hope there is no hate towards transgenders now! That's all they need is this bad
publicity!
I mean, all the info is not out, but ''transgendered'' has already been used...
perhaps she was just boyish looking...not good for that group either!

May they all find comfort soon...so terrible

I was very impressed with the D.A., George Blaucher, and the sheriff, but not so much with Polis. He seemed almost blase' about the entire situation, which surprised me, being a Democrat and pro gun control to at least some extent.

Btw, you are now the second person I've seen on City-Data who has brought up the transgender issue. As the identity of the female suspect (including her sexual identity) has NOT been established (as you said) to my knowledge, I hope they will clarify this issue soon. As you pointed out, many females look like males if they wear their hair and dress like males.

[Timmyy]

Originally Posted by Sir Quotes A Lot

But it's not. It's happening in your back yard, and other communities like it.

So again...why? These kids have so many more resources than I ever did growing up in a blue collar community. The types of advanced programs they have at school (engineering, computer science, etc.), the amount of resources they have at home for additional support (mentors, nannies, tutors, etc.), the ability to afford psychological counselling sessions, etc.

Are they just 'soft'? Has too much helicopter parenting prevented these kids from dealing with difficult situations on their own? Are they overloaded with stressors (being too perfect)? Are their parents simply too busy to be parents?

I'm really fascinated by this trend, and the dichotomy of coping between upper middle class struggles and lower class struggles.

I too am fascinated by the trend. I hope somebody can find a trend between all of these attacks and then we can all find a way to communicate with our children on their level to stop this from occurring.

Then there is gun control. I do believe in the right to own a gun(s) but we need to figure out how to keep it out of the hands of people that have ill intent. Yes, I know knives can kill but there is no way a knife could do as much damage in such a short amount of time compared to a gun. I knife wielding student would be stopped much quicker than someone with a gun.

Hug your kids tightly and talk to them about this.