TEDMED’s Picks for 2026
Looking ahead to 2026, we’re highlighting TEDMED Talks selected by our Director of Scientific Content that challenge, inform, and inspire. Covering mental health, equity, innovation, and the human connections that shape well-being, these talks offer timely insights for the year ahead.
My son was a Columbine shooter. This is my story.
Sue Klebold
Sue Klebold is the mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the two shooters who
committed the Columbine High School massacre, murdering 12 students and 1
teacher. She’s spent years excavating every detail of her family life,
trying to understand what she could have done to prevent her son’s
violence. In this difficult, jarring talk, Klebold explores the
intersection between mental health and violence, advocating for parents
and professionals to continue to examine the link between suicidal and
homicidal thinking.
About Sue Klebold
About Sue
Sue Klebold is best known as the mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the two teenagers responsible for the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. For many years, she remained out of the public eye, trying to understand what led to the tragedy. In 2016, she decided to share her story in the memoir, A Mother’s Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy. In her book and through her public speaking, Sue explores the difficult questions she has faced since the event. She shares her personal journey of trying to understand her son’s mental state, looking for warning signs she may have missed, and dealing with her own grief and guilt. Today, Sue is a dedicated advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention. She has spoken at events and conferences to share her experience in hopes of helping other families. All of her personal profits from the book are donated to organizations that focus on mental health research, suicide prevention, and brain health awareness. Her work aims to help parents and professionals recognize signs of mental health crises in young people, in order to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future. She continues to be a powerful voice for compassion and understanding around mental illness.
