Metallica fan kills 3 classmates in Argentina

Kelly Hearn of The Washington Times is reporting that a 15-year-old fan of Metallica and Marilyn Manson was responsible for the deadliest school shooting in Argentine history last week when he stood up in a classroom in the town of Carmen de Patagones and fatally shot three classmates and wounded five others. He used a 9-mm pistol that belonged to his father, a policeman.

The shooting reportedly came days after students were shown the Michael Moore film "Bowling for Columbine", prompting nationwide soul-searching over violence in popular culture.

News that students at the Isla de Malvinas school had seen the documentary days before the shooting prompted one newspaper to run the headline "Bowling for Patagones". The term now has made it into the global Internet culture, posted on blogs and on web sites.

"I think there was a lot of influence from Columbine," says Mirta Beirro, 28, a hotel worker in Buenos Aires. "He was listening to MARILYN MANSON and was into that culture. Many young people here are influenced by what they see on the television."