Just a few weeks in, the 2003-04 school year has already
been more deadly than each of the past two years according
to statistics compiled by USA Today.
Since the start of the school year in mid-August, there
have been 18 violent deaths on school campuses across the
nation, as well as 50 nonfatal incidents. This compares
with 17 violent deaths for the entire 2001-2002 school year
and 16 in 2002-2003.
Officials fear this school year could rival the 31 who died
in the 1999-2000 school year, which included the 15 killed
at Columbine High School in 1999 in Colorado. Officials are
alarmed by the spate of violence coming in the fall when
spring is usually the worst time for school violence. Also,
violence is one the rise despite the beefing up of security
at most schools after Columbine.
