'' Give a Boy a Gun '' is an epistolary novel for young adults by Todd Strasser , first published in 2000 . The novel describes the events and social circumstances that lead up to , and form the aftermath of , a fictional school shooting . The story is presented in the form of segments of transcribed post-incident interviews with students , parents , teachers , and community members , compiled by Denise Shipley , a journalism student who is the stepsister of one of the shooters . The interviews provide a variety of viewpoints on the incident – some sympathetic , others hostile . Interspersed through the book are footnotes providing statistical information about guns and gun violence . The plot has some similarities to the real-life Columbine High School massacre of April 20 , 1999 , although Strasser began research on the book before the Columbine shooting . The book was the first book relating to school shootings published after Columbine . Brendan Lawlor and Gary Searle are students at Middletown High School . Gary has lived in town since second grade , while Brendan is a new arrival . The two quickly become friends . They are subjected to verbal and physical bullying by football players at Middletown , which teachers and parents fail to notice , downplay , or outright ignore . As time passes , both boys become darker and angrier , experimenting with alcohol and drugs , becoming obsessive about violent video games , and withdrawing from most social activities . Eventually the boys begin to obsess over the possibility of acting on their violent impulses . Gary experiments with developing a powerful homemade bomb . Gary and Brendan steal semi-automatic guns from a neighbour . Meanwhile , students are excited about an upcoming dance to be held in the school 's gym . On the night of the dance , Brendan leaves a cryptic message for his friend Emily , warning her not to attend because there will be trouble . Masked , Brendan and Gary enter the gym just after the dance begins . They shoot out the lights before restraining the attendees with cable ties . Gary booby-traps the doors with bombs so they will explode if anyone tries to open them . The pair approach the football team 's quarterback , Sam , who has been one of their main tormentors . After some debate , they decide to shoot out his kneecaps so he will be unable to play football ever again . Gary and Brendan fire their guns randomly around the gym , scaring students and injuring others . Another football player , Dustin , manages to get free and unties some others . Gary commits suicide while Brendan is beaten into a coma by the football players . Brendan suffers irreversible brain damage from the beating and those responsible are arrested and put on trial for attempted murder . The book ends with Denise Shipley , Gary 's stepsister , wondering if Gary knew if there were other options besides violence . She swears she will always treat others with respect and teach others to do the same . She also shares her belief that semi-automatic weapons should be outlawed and handguns should be only in the hands of law enforcement
Columbine High School massacre
Columbine High School massacre
Give a Boy a Gun