Columbine High School massacre officers using this tactic are trained to move toward the sound of gunfire and neutralize the shooter as quickly as possible. Their goal is to stop the shooter at all costs; they are to walk past wounded victims, as the aim is to prevent the shooter from killing or wounding more. Dave Cullen has stated: "The active protocol has proved successful at numerous shootings...At Virginia Tech alone, it probably saved dozens of lives." After the massacre, many survivors and relatives of deceased victims filed lawsuits. Under Colorado state law at the time, the maximum a family could receive in a
Columbine (book) feverish response to the alleged "martyrdom" issue is also chronicled. "Columbine" begins four days before the massacre, at a school assembly hosted by Principal DeAngelis just before Prom weekend. Scenes from the massacre are graphically depicted in the early chapters, and later through flashbacks. Published by Twelve (Hachette Book Group) on April 6, 2009, "Columbine" debuted at number seven on the bestseller list for "The New York Times" in the United States. It peaked at number three, and spent eight weeks on the list. The book was very well received by critics, and by news media, which focused heavily on