Richard Castaldo
Encyclopedia
Richard Castaldo is a high-school student who was critically injured during the Columbine High School Massacre
. He was a friend of Rachel Scott
and was eating lunch with her on the day she was killed. Castaldo was shot eight times in the arm, chest, back, and abdomen, becoming permanently paralyzed from the chest down. He witnessed Scott being killed from the corner of his eye during the shooting.
He was born approximately in 1982. He was 17 when the shootings occurred. He has appeared in many documentaries about the shooting, including Bowling for Columbine
about Columbine and its connections to youth gun violence and its influences on gun control laws.
approached them. Harris threw a pipe-bomb that exploded, wounding both Rachel and Castaldo. Harris then killed Rachel and seriously wounded Castaldo with eight shots to the arm, back, chest, and abdomen. He was one of the first evacuted during the massacre, and remained crippled and in a wheel-chair for the rest of his life after the shooting with nerve damages to his left arm. Castaldo was taken to the hospital and remained there for a few months after the shooting.
(nor did any real people from the massacre except Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold), but did provide his outlook on the game in a short interview on a website:
. The conversation actually occurred between Dylan Klebold and Valeen Schnurr, a student who survived the massacre (but was also injured). Castaldo denied that the story about Rachel's killing was told by him in a December 1999 issue of Time
.
Columbine High School massacre
The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
. He was a friend of Rachel Scott
Rachel Scott
Rachel Joy Scott was the first victim of the Columbine High School massacre, which claimed the lives of 12 students, one teacher and the two perpetrators, in one of the deadliest high school shootings in United States history.She has since been the subject of several books and is the...
and was eating lunch with her on the day she was killed. Castaldo was shot eight times in the arm, chest, back, and abdomen, becoming permanently paralyzed from the chest down. He witnessed Scott being killed from the corner of his eye during the shooting.
He was born approximately in 1982. He was 17 when the shootings occurred. He has appeared in many documentaries about the shooting, including Bowling for Columbine
Bowling for Columbine
Bowling for Columbine is a 2002 documentary film written, directed, produced, and narrated by Michael Moore. The film explores what Michael Moore suggests are the causes for the Columbine High School massacre and other acts of violence with guns...
about Columbine and its connections to youth gun violence and its influences on gun control laws.
Columbine shooting
Castaldo was the second victim of the shooting, after Rachel Scott. He was in the grassy knoll outside the cafeteria eating lunch with Rachel. Minutes into their lunch, Eric Harris and Dylan KleboldEric Harris and Dylan Klebold
Eric David Harris and Dylan Bennet Klebold were American high school seniors who committed the Columbine High School massacre. They killed 13 people—including teacher Dave Sanders—and injured 24 others, three of whom were injured as they escaped the attack...
approached them. Harris threw a pipe-bomb that exploded, wounding both Rachel and Castaldo. Harris then killed Rachel and seriously wounded Castaldo with eight shots to the arm, back, chest, and abdomen. He was one of the first evacuted during the massacre, and remained crippled and in a wheel-chair for the rest of his life after the shooting with nerve damages to his left arm. Castaldo was taken to the hospital and remained there for a few months after the shooting.
Response to Super Columbine Massacre RPG!
Castaldo did not have an appearance in Super Columbine Massacre RPG!Super Columbine Massacre RPG!
Super Columbine Massacre RPG!, abbreviated SCMRPG!, is a role-playing video game created by Danny Ledonne and released in April 2005. The game recreates the 1999 Columbine High School shootings near Littleton, Colorado...
(nor did any real people from the massacre except Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold), but did provide his outlook on the game in a short interview on a website:
- "It probably sounds a bit odd for someone like me to say, but I appreciate the fact at least to some degree that something like this was made. I think that at least it gets people talking about Columbine in a unique perspective, which is probably a good thing. But that being said there are a lot of things that are hard to play or watch. And it seems to partially glamorize what happened. It shows a stark-contrast between fantasy and real life in an interesting way."
- -Richard Castaldo on Super Columbine Massacre RPG! (see external references)
Role in Rachel Scott Controversy
In the early days after the massacre, news localists and magazine reporters allegedly reported that Dylan Klebold killed Scott after she responded to his question of "Do you believe in God?", saying that the story was told by Castaldo. This would start a major controversy as the same conversation was attributed to Cassie BernallCassie Bernall
Cassie René Bernall was a student killed in the Columbine High School massacre, at age 17.Initial reports suggested that one of the assailants, either Eric Harris or Dylan Klebold, asked Bernall if she believed in God moments before fatally shooting her. She was reported to have answered "Yes, I...
. The conversation actually occurred between Dylan Klebold and Valeen Schnurr, a student who survived the massacre (but was also injured). Castaldo denied that the story about Rachel's killing was told by him in a December 1999 issue of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
.
External References
- http://www.archden.org/index.cfm/ID/1925
- http://kotaku.com/171966/columbine-survivor-talks-about-columbine-rpg
- http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/taking-back-420-richard-castaldo-ten-years-after-columbine
- http://www.mtv.com/bands/c/columbine_anniversary/news_feature_042004/