Cleveland's Coon: A Columbine Copycat
The Cleveland school shooter Asa H. Coon was Caucasian. He was a "death Goth" Columbine copycat in a trenchcoat. You won't read or hear about that too many other places. I've not seen one photograph of the shooter anywhere on the web in the 24 hours since he tried to kill his teachers and fellow students, then ended his own life. Buried in a Yahoo News story on October 11, 2007, you will find his one line: "Coon, who was white, stood out in the predominantly black school for dressing in a goth style, wearing a black trench coat, black boots, a dog collar and chains...." Is it important? I think so. It is not about "causes" and "blaming." It is about understanding the evolution and changing landscape of school shootings. School shootings follow predictable patterns, and this one was no different. Coon was suspended, and was a suicidal young man, full of rage, ready to go off. This is common. On October 10, 2007, Asa Coon, a 14-year-old