Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre, committed suicide by gunshot wound after killing 12 students and one teacher and injuring 21 others on April 20, 1999. The shooting was the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history at the time and sparked a national debate on how to end gun violence in schools. The shooters families settled lawsuits with the families of the victims for close to $2.5 million, with the Harris and Klebolds homeowners insurance paying a large part and the rest coming from insurance company payments on behalf of the gun suppliers. The shooting has inspired dozens of copycat killings, dubbed the "Columbine effect," including many deadlier shootings across the world.