"Everything you know about the Littleton killings is wrong. But the truth may be scarier than the myths" (Cullen 1999, p. 1). This is the title of an article that claims that "what was reported last spring about the motives and methods of killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold was untrue" (Cullen 1999, p. 1). The question that arises from this claim, is how can that be so? How can the "most notorious events from the shooting spree - reported over and over in news reports, on TV chat shows and now in a bestselling book..." (Cullen 1999, p. 1) be false and in fact, to simply have never occurred? Using critical reasoning principles from English philosopher, Anthony Flew, one may begin to understand why everything we learnt through the media about the Littleton killings may well be incorrect.
             This paper will concentrate on one "myth" - the killers were part of the Trench Coat Mafia. It will use two critical reasoning principles from Flew; namely Denying the Consequent/Affirming the Antecedent, and Affirming the Conseqent/Denying the Antecedent, to understand "the truth" behind "the myth".
             The two boys responsible for the killings were said to be part of the Trench Coat Mafia. Apparently, eighteen students from Chatfield High School associated with the group, were identified as acquaintances of Harris and Klebold. "They were kind of friends of fringe members" said one investigator (Cullen 1999, p. 3). Klebold was known to wear a trench coat occasionally. However, district spokesman Rick Kaufman stated, that "no students can recall ever seeing Eric wear a trench coat, other than once, this past fall [1998], other than the day of the shooting" (Cullen 1999, p. 4). In addition, the conclusion made by investigators was that the killers were not trying to evoke some echo of the Trench Coat Mafia by wearing their trademark coat on the day of the shooting. Instead, the investigators believe that "the reason they wore coats was for logistica...