Unpopular Opinion: Putting Less Blame On Law Enforcement

None of the law enforcement personnel ventured into the building. Should they be blamed for that? Partially.

Could they have easily ventured into the building just minutes after the massacre had started, after the perimeter had been secured?

Yes, but I don't completely blame them for not doing it. They were receiving reports that made them overestimate the suspects' capabilities.

False reports of:
1. Up to 4+ shooters.
2. The shooters capable of booby-trapping bombs to backpacks, bodies, doors, etc.
3. A sniper on the roof.
4. Shooters have "grenades" (could be interpreted as more professional explosive devices)
5. Shooters have fully automatic weapons.

With reports like that, it sounded more like a job for the SWAT team and the SWAT team only. Even to the SWAT team, that was intimidating.

I don't doubt that if the police knew that they were dealing with 2 teenagers with low quality firearms, poorly made explosive devices, and very little shooting experience, they would have entered the school much earlier.

I know that the police were following procedure. So I more blame the procedure. Allowing the events to unfold inside the school while they hung around outside wasn't easy for anyone but it happened.

I have mixed feeling on this issue. It truly is a hard thing to know that the police/SWAT sat posted outside, could hear gunshots, possibly even the victims screaming, etc. AND still didn't enter the building to engage E&D. Thinking of the lives that could have been saved makes it difficult to not hold them responsible for the death toll.  

BUT on the other hand as you stated, they had such conflicting reports coming out. Multiple shooters in various parts of the building, possibly a shooter on the roof etc. SO they had no idea what they were up against, or what they could be walking into.

Also I'm sure each person involved has dealt with guilt over what happened that day as well.

No one knew what to do. No one knew how to handle it. I agree though if the police did have a clear cut picture of who was doing it they would’ve gone right in. I remember thousands of miles away on my own local news station they were saying that these guys were in black military gear with swastikas and they were in their 20s with automatic weapons...


Then an hour later they put up Eric and Dylan’s junior year pictures and Everyone realize how wrong initial reports were

Screamingophelia wrote:

No one knew what to do. No one knew how to handle it. I agree though if the police did have a clear cut picture of who was doing it they would’ve gone right in. I remember thousands of miles away on my own local news station they were saying that these guys were in black military gear  with swastikas and they were in their  20s with automatic weapons...


Then an hour later they put up Eric and Dylan’s junior year pictures and Everyone realize how wrong initial reports were

Sadly I believe all the different reports and drastically conflicting info delayed or stalled everything, which did lead to more lives being lost and Dave Sanders being allowed to slowly bleed out.