The Stupid, Boring Evil of Payton Gendron

There is no sob story that can explain away a mass shooter’s motives. 'Snow Storm - Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth,' by J.M.W. Turner, 1842. (Wikimedia Commons). Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. In the weeks following the Columbine High School massacre, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were many things to many people: “disciples of [Marilyn] Manson”; members of the “Trench Coat Mafia”—that is, a Satanic cabal of Hitler-lovers among Denverite teens; they were even goths. That’s right, goths. Want to see more of The Dispatch in Google search? Add Us as a Preferred Source Nick Pompella is a science writer, editor, and reporter at Purdue University. He also works as a freelance fiction editor, and has published art criticism and foreign policy analysis for National Review. More Monday Essays