In the weeks following the 1999 Columbine High School massacre , media reports about the teen gunmen , Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold , portrayed them as part of a gothic cult . An increased suspicion of goth subculture subsequently manifested in the media . This led to a moral panic over teen involvement in goth subculture and a number of other activities , such as violent video games . Harris and Klebold had initially been thought to be members of " The Trenchcoat Mafia " ; an informal club within Columbine High School . Later , such characterizations were considered incorrect
Columbine High School massacre
Columbine High School massacre
Goth subculture