BOISE — Almost 20 years ago, two Colorado students gunned down their classmates and teachers at Columbine High School.
13 people were murdered and more than 20 were injured.
Tuesday, former Columbine Principal Frank DeAngelis was at the Family Engagement Conference at Boise State University and spoke with KTVB about lessons learned from the attack, and how those can be applied to schools today to prevent more tragedies.
"When I came out of my office about 100 yards away a gunman was coming toward me, shots were being fired and glass was breaking," recalls DeAngelis. "I had 35 keys on a key ring, reached in my pocket and the first key I pulled out stuck it in the door and got us to a safe place, we're very fortunate to be alive as a result of that."
As for the shooters, DeAngelis says they were not bullied loners.
"These were not two loner kids. These were kids that were in advanced placement classes, they were planning on going to college next year," DeAngelis said. "One of the killers believed very strongly in the Nazi regime and Hitler and felt it was survival of the fittest, so that myth out there that they were two weak kids that were picked on was not what was actually happening."
DeAngelis says the shooters at Columbine, and others in recent history, all have one thing in common.
"I truly believe that all these shooters, whether it be from Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook or what we saw in Parkland, these kids that are doing it, these young adults are broadcasting it," DeAngelis said.
He believes the attackers all spoke out, online or to someone else, and their threats were either ignored or not taken seriously.
"We need to empower our kids to see something say something, hear something say something because in most cases they are broadcasting it," DeAngelis said. "I think for a long period of time there has been that mystique of a kid ratting or snitching on someone but it's how you paint the scenario. You can protect others, you can protect your friends."
"See something, say something" is a concept that must include participation from parents as well.
Jill Mathews with the Idaho State Department of Education, the agency that hosted Tuesday's conference, agrees.
"We need that partnership with parents to be able to fully implement what we are trying to do in schools on a day-to-day basis," Mathews said.
"I think as parents, one of the things they need to do is be involved in their kid’s life," DeAngelis said.