Shooter

First published in 2004, Shooter is a young adult novel by Walter Dean Myers about a school shooting. It delves into the perpetrator’s psychological profile as well as the cultural forces behind the violence. The story examines US gun culture, bullying, drug abuse, and dysfunctional family dynamics as causal factors. Myers tells the story through official interviews, police reports, newspaper clippings, and a diary.

Myers has written more than 70 books for children and young adults, including The New York Times bestseller Monster, which won the first-ever Michael L. Prinz award. Myers has also won six Coretta Scott King awards and two Newbery honors.

Content Warning: Shooter contains descriptions of gun violence, domestic abuse, racist incidents, and suicide. It also contains anti-gay language and discussions of sexual assault.

Plot Summary

The story takes place months after a fatal April school shooting. A picture of the incident is formed by three incident analysis reports—filed by a psychologist, an FBI agent, and a threat assessment specialist—as well as a sheriff’s report and the deceased killer’s diary.

The story opens with Dr. Richard Ewings, a senior county psychologist, interviewing Cameron Porter, a 17-year-old former student at Madison High School. Cameron was a friend of Leonard (“Len”) Gray, the shooter who killed one student and himself.