MCKEESPORT, Pa. -- Sue Klebold -- mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the two gunmen responsible for the Columbine High Schools shootings -- will speak from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, in the Wunderley Gymnasium at Penn State Greater Allegheny.
Klebold’s memoir, "A Mother’s Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy" (Crown, 2106) brings a voice to the incomprehensible that occurred at Columbine. According to Joni Schwager, executive director of Staunton Farm Foundation, “Klebold honestly confronts not only the devastating damage Dylan caused, but how she could have recognized the signs that he was a deeply troubled young man. Her book raises important questions about mass shootings of our children and suicide.”
As she searched for understanding, Klebold volunteered for suicide prevention organizations, questioned experts, talked with fellow survivors of loss and examined the crucial intersection between mental health problems and violence. Today, she spends her time advocating for mental health awareness and intervention.
Elizabeth Miller, division director of adolescent medicine and medical director of community and population health, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh shared the importance of awareness and intervention. “Suicide and violence are preventable,” said Miller. “Investing in our children, youth, families and communities creates pathways for healing and recovery. We can (and must) do this together.”
Staunton Farms Foundation, located in downtown Pittsburgh, is dedicated to improving the lives of people who live with mental illness. To learn more about the foundation’s work, visit its website at http://www.stauntonfarm.org. To register for An Evening with Sue Klebold, visit Eventbrite.